Part Time Job
by Tomoe Harada
Summary: Jango Fett takes Boba with him on a hunt the first time. Junior learned enough for a detour with consequences.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - Watch out for things that go too well

It was all too easy. His merchandise usually didn't provide an address for pickup. But this one was foolish enough to have his bills sent home where the contractor was already fuming. Yes, the orbital surveillance on that planet was tight, not allowing anybody to land without an invitation and a place to stay. But the flight information system was outdated and buggy enough to swallow some quickly improvised records. The slice was rewarded with detailed navigation advice.

Surprisingly, the incoming space travel wasn't concentrated on space ports but directed right to his pretended location. "You'll be attended to personally as soon as you land." A friendly voice chattered and bid a farewell. With an icy "Roger" the tan skinned, scarred pilot clad in a blue body suit and silver armor cut the transmission. Jango Fett knew his type wasn't welcome. 'That's getting too close,' he decided, dropped below scanner level and wiped his entry from the flight information system. An outcrop in the vicinity of the resort would do. By dawn he would be gone.

From the co-pilot's seat a firmly strapped-in Boba eyed the country side rushing through underneath the Slave 1 with curiosity. This was so different to the endless grey waves of the Kaminoan sea: rocky ridges rising from dark green woods, patches and terraces of emerald green and golden yellow fields and wavy meadows. Water presented itself in sapphire blue lakes huddled in between like jewels.

"Dad? Is there fish in those lakes?"

Jango cast his exited son a quick glimpse. "I suppose." He had already expected that holozines, Kamino and an occasional visit of the training grounds wouldn't fulfill his son's curiosity for long. A hunter needed to blend in, move and feed himself in any possible climate. That would need some off-world excursions and scouting. Probably soon after this job was done. "But you need to find some sleep and I need to find the bounty. We will leave upon my return."

"Why? It's not even dark out there."

"That's because we are on another planet. But it's already way past your bedtime. I have allowed you to stay up just to see the landing, remember?"

One of the first things Boba had learned was that promises had to be kept when he wanted to go hunting with dad. Now he felt disappointed and grown up at the same time. "Yes, dad."

Jango smiled "That's my boy." He sat the Slave 1 down, prepared a head-start, tucked his son in and donned his helmet. A key on his wristlink closed and locked the hatch when he strode down the landing ramp. About 5 minutes later, Boba noted his missing bedtime-story. No story, no deal, no sleep... after another 5 minutes and the requisition of a box to reach the control panel, he entered dad's key to the trusted Slave 1. He had seen it frequently.

Meanwhile, the older hunter found out that the resort was larger than expected, with dozens of thatched cottages arranged in a country side that looked too neat to be a work of nature. It certainly gave the guests a maximum of privacy. Normally, he would scan the area for the target or a terminal, slice into the resort's info system and snatch the merchandise right from its room. Tonight his effort would consist of a glimpse at the holomap created from the Slave 1 scanner readouts, enhanced with his special guest's given location.

The downside was the "alive and unhurt" in the contract. He preferred not to haul around the merchandise. Even on the foldable antigrav stretcher he had strapped to his backpack, living merchandise was heavy, noisy and messy. But a deal was a deal. Using the scanner array of his helmet, he carefully slipped from cover to cover. Apparently, most of the beings had assembled in two areas: some near the bright infrared marks that gave it away as a kitchen, other markings were obscured in pools fed by a hot well. Dinner time, obviously. No need to draw attention. Jango settled in. Sooner or later the merchandise would come to him.

Forty minutes later, his patience was rewarded. Two persons came down the canopied walkway with a lantern, chatting silently. A male and a female. The wood of the wide veranda gnawed under the weight, then a sliding door swished open and close again. He switched back to infrared. A third, bright marking appeared when a fire was lit in the centre of the cottage, obscuring the vital signs slightly. He would wait for number two to leave, then finish the job.

Dull sound of mats hitting the ground. Rustling fabric. Low chuckle. Silence. Moaning, male. Heat sources down to two. Apparently, somebody else was going to finish first, which called for a record and made it two targets according to the contract. "Enjoy, could be your last" he snorted inside the helmet and threw a switch for recording. Half an hour later, it grew silent then the female voice emerged again. He got up to make his move, but had to dodge quickly at the swiff of the door. Socked feet padded silently over the veranda then vanished on the walkway behind the cottages corner.

Jango came up the other end of the veranda, blaster drawn, flanked over a low balustrade and pushed the slide door open, leveling the hand with dart-thrower at the drowsy target. Yes, that was the guy he was looking for. "What... ouch" The dart hit the centre of his bare, sweat gleaming chest, stinging like a bee when it discharged, "Time to go home to your wife." Wide eyes showed no recognition of the gravelly voice. The hand that had reached for the dart dropped back on the mats with the rest of the limp body. Jango stepped into the room and pulled the door shut behind him. He checked the pulse and breath rate, then assembled the anti-grav-stretcher and hauled the heavy unconscious body on it.

Meanwhile, the female hurried back into the main house with demure little steps, fetched an artistically arranged dinner-tray from a kitchen assistant, a tea kettle and a bottle of warmed wine from the barkeeper and bid a good night to them before returning over the walkway to mend her cottage.

A boy cowering tensely on the walkway over the larger pond caught her attention: off-worldly clothing, dark mop of curly hair, tanned skin, solid black boots. She lowered in her knees, shifting the weight of the tray to her left hand and smoothed the narrow hem of her skirt against her ankle, squatting down to talk "Are you lost?" her voice was low and melodic.

"No" came the boy's short answer at the disturbance, a quick gaze rushed over her, then dropped back to the water. Some of the splendid red, white and black fish were turned away by the light footfalls and the rising voices, but now they were back and even more assembling. Maybe that calm person wasn't so much of a disturbance after all. "They are beautiful but stupid. Easy catch." Boba retorted with a twitch of his face.

"They are tamed. I feed them every morning, we don't feed on them... but you know, your parents are going to miss you at dinner." She added with a wink.

"I already had dinner." The boy retorted, using the possibility for another question "Why don't you eat them?"

"Oh, you are swift." She smiled "We don't eat them because their bright colors complete the pond. The pond completes the landscape. The land is our life." She looked at him for comprehension "Take your time to find out for yourself. Just give me your name, in case your parents are missing you." - "Boba." – "I'm Tomoe, nice to meet you." She bowed, stood and side-stepped him to continue to the cottage.

The first thing she noted was the lack of light coming through the semi-translucent slide door. She surely had given the fire enough nurturing and it hadn't been that long? Tomoe kneeled and set the covered tray on the veranda beside her, "Sorry I have let you wait, Mr. Oniro", she announced herself briskly and slid the door open with one hand, switched hands in front of her body to push it open fully then bowed on the door step. She got no answer. Apparently, her guest was still resting.

She turned on her knees to pick up the tray and enter when something rose swiftly in the back of the room, a face obscured by matte silver metal and a T-shaped visor. She twitched and bent over to steady the tea kettle from tumbling. "Who are you?" She raised to her feet, the kettle still hanging from her palm.

"Come in." a low gravelly voice commanded with an outstretched hand while the other came up to level a weapon at her face. A jerk of her arm sent the kettle flying into his direction. It shattered at a roof beam, hot water splattering all over the place. Her dash to the left brushed past the dinner tray, sending the covers clattering over the wooden floor.

"_Fierfek_" Jango ran for the door, scurrying to near halt to clear one corner, then the next. Of course he could have unleashed a dart any time, but there hadn't been the possibility of a clean shot. With each dart carrying a dose to render any large humanoid unconscious, one and a half dose could lead to cardiac arrest of such an undergrown target. Though panic seemed to have stretched her legs and the pillars and handrails of the walkway's roof got into the frame.

Tomoe rushed down the walkway for help "Run," she hissed when she grabbed the kid by the shoulders and hauled him to his feet. The boy struggled to free himself "Assassin's coming" she gasped, shoved him in front of her and ushered him into a run.

The quick heavy footfalls in her back told her they wouldn't make it into the safety of the main house. Not with the boy turning every second step to see what was behind them. "Down there, keep on running." She commanded and shoved him to the steps leading down to the staff entrance. "Tomoe?" She retrieved a sheathed knife from the folds of her wide silken sash and turned to face the attacker, blocking the branching with her body in a defensive stance, arms raised, long fluttering sleeves obscuring the sheathed knife clutched in her hands.

Jango's hackles rose when he spotted a familiar form hauled along by the servant that had just ruined his evening. How did Boba get there? His annoyance was replaced by ice cold anger tinged with fear. "Stupid idea." he growled. Few were foolish enough to make a lonely stance against a Mandalorian warrior. But nobody threatened his son and lived. A trap? He scanned the surroundings.

"Leave him alone. He hasn't seen a thing." Tomoe tried to sound reasonable, her voice low and soft and slow. Any discussion would help Boba to escape. "He's too young to be taken into account as a witness." She didn't turn her eyes from the black T-shaped visor, but listened for the boy's dwindling footfalls.

"Turn him over to me or die." Did she think she was protecting his boy from him? At least she poised there like a Krayt dragon over its nest. The elaborate jet-black updo and hairpins had become a crown of horns, the silk wrapped around her mid shimmered like the scales of an unfolding amphibian. Beautiful, deadly and ready to pounce at him.

"No," the sudden silence behind her drove Tomoe to desperate measures, "Boba, run... RUN!"

A flick of his wrist fired a dart. Proper target or not, Jango couldn't have her alarming the whole resort. A blade flashed through the shadows of the roofed corridor in a clattering downwards arch, and then she rushed at him. The second dart embedded below her left collarbone. 'Gotcha.' Carried by the body's momentum, the tip of the knife left a long scratch beside the visor as the length of her lower arm crashed against his chest plate

He had managed to press his chin down to his chest just in time to prevent the blade from embedding into his chin and mouth before going up into his skull. His harsh shove and the dart's effect knocked her to the ground hard. A quick kick removed the knife from the vicinity of her limp hand. "Boba, come here."

The boy scrambled up the steps quickly, but then slowed with his head hanging, picking up the disposed sheath. He offered it to his father who removed the second dart, pocketed it and checked the prone form for life signs and weapons. His first dart was nowhere in sight.

"I'll hear you later, now move it." Jango hoisted up the body, rested it against a pillar then threw it over his shoulder and walked briskly back to the cottage. Inside he dropped his burden on the anti-grav slide, activated it and towed the double load back to Slave 1, covered by nightfall. Boba trotted behind silently, clutching Tomoe's knife to his chest. He felt that he had made a serious mistake.

Inside the freight compartment, Jango rolled the lithe female body aside to take care of the male who would wake first. The man's loose robe and undergarments were frisked in an instant. Steady vital signs, no weapons, just a belt to remove before he put him into a cage and locked it. Jango turned to the woman. Pale, faint vital signs barely tangible with gloved hands. He ran his palm lightly over her neck and face, pulling a long pin from her updo. He whistled at its pointy tip. This would take considerably longer. He put her into another cage for the meantime and took Boba up into the cockpit for the lift-off.

"Dad?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry."

"How could she find you and know your name?"

"I just had a look around. Nobody cared. Then she came along and spoke to me."

"And you gave her your name?"

"Yes... she was somehow convinced that I was lost."

"Never give your name away to strangers, Boba... and never leave the ship without my approval. You've seen how dangerous it is."

"I won't do it again, dad."

Some time passed until Boba dared to speak up again

"Dad?"

"Hmm?"

"Tomoe wasn't frightening me before she freaked out and you shot her. Just curious... nice."

"So?"

"What now?"

"We deliver. Then we go home"

"And then... to Tomoe, I mean."

"I don't know. The contractor has an issue with Mr. Oniro. The woman has taken a part in it, so she is to be included in the contract." The problem had got a name. Tomoe. His son's sudden attachment puzzled him.

"Is she a thief or somebody... criminal?"

"No. It seems to be a personal vengeance thing."

"Good, then I wasn't wrong about her. But... what did she do?"

"Hmm."

Jango wasn't going to explain in detail to his five year old son what kind of evidence he had recorded for Mrs. Oniro and her relatives. In fact, he wasn't entirely sure anymore that he had caught the right type. The ferocious outburst didn't fit in. Escaping the planet's atmosphere and gravity well the Slave 1 jumped into hyperspace to meet the delivery co-ordinates.

Jango stood "I have to check on her. Stay in the cockpit." – "Yes."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - Always be polite. Especially to your adversaries

Jango climbed down into the cargo area. The merchandise was still out cold. He punched-in the code to get into the cage. While he usually didn't mind his merchandise silent, nobody escaped from his as easily as through brain damage or quick death. Her complexion was no longer a contrast to the white inner collar of her robe and her lips had acquired an unhealthy bluish hue. The jerk of the ship entering hyperspace had left her lying on her back. The voluminous sash and the bent-back position seemed to restrict her breath.

Fett slipped his gloves off, pushed them under his utility belt and got to work again.

Hoisting her up against a knee he settled the lolling head against his shoulder and worked open the first two knots, tossing a folding-fan, a length of rope and a shawl aside. 'Doesn't all the stuff impair with your trade?' he ranted inwardly, fighting just another narrow binder. When it came loose, a length of silk dropped in his lap, but still the wide sash wasn't coming loose. He bent the limp body over, tugging several meters of silk through a knot and from underneath her. A small vial, rough white tissues and a briefcase dropped onto the metal floor. The view of two more belts folding the robe neatly to the body in a narrow, ankle-long skirt partially disproved the evidence he had recorded in the resort.

Jango lowered his captive to the cage's metal floor to pick up his findings. ID, business cards in an unreadable font, some credits... he disabled the air filter of the helmet, sniffing at the oily contents of the vial. The scent of pine mingled into the hold's antiseptic smell. He re-corked the massage fluid and picked up a hand to study the palm. Short well manicured nails, long digits but not gaunt, strong skin in places but not callous. That small fist had nearly put a knife up into his skull. Nevertheless it evoked no fear just some respect. He bent over to frisk the elaborate up-do for more sharp objects, removing a lacquered comb, some clasps, ribbons and a two-piece pin assembling over a small blade. Long ebony hair spilled over his hands. It carried a faint scent of grass.

A scrambling and a groan in the cage behind his back told him that Mr. Oniro's sedation was wearing off. "Where am I ...and who are you?" Jango preferred to ignore the pitiful view on the 360°-display. "I demand an answer," Oniro spotted sprawled clothing as he pulled himself upright against the cage's bars "Tomoe? ... Take your filthy hands off her, you mindless brute!"

The armoured nightmare stood slowly and faced the bathrobe-clad man, then slammed an elbow against the cage just above the fingers clutching its bars, "Must be a good fuck if you grew that attached."

Oniro jerked back. "What?" his eyes twitched away from the black visor to stare at his toes when he tried to pull his bathrobe close and recover some dignity.

"Was she worth the money spent?"

"Yes... I mean, no... ahhh... what do you mean?" the captive cleared his throat "This must be a misunderstanding. My name is O_n_i_r_o. I have no criminal record, I swear, I'm clean, you must have mistaken me for somebody else."

"You can explain that to your wife's clan after I deliver you, Mr. Oniro."

"Oh dear! ...Can't a guy just have a vacation?" the retort ended in a muttering.

"Not if it threatens the project schedule." Jango turned his back on the prisoner in disgust who had switched to pleading, telling him everything he probably wanted to hear - instead of the truth. A different approach was due. He hoisted the lithe body of the female up over his shoulder, which earned him a "What are you doing?" by Oniro.

"Just finding out for myself." Jango turned to climb the narrow steps and ladder to cockpit. "Want another sedation?"

Boba had dozed off in the co-pilot's chair and woke with a start as his father brushed past him to drop Tomoe on the narrow bunk. Jango wrapped her into a blanket and strapped her down with the security belts. "Watch her, call me when she wakes." He went back to the freight room to retrieve her belongings, storing anything that reassembled a weapon in a cockpit locker altogether with helmet, armor and blasters. Without the armor plates, the grayish blue body glove didn't look much different of a standard flight suit. The headset completed the appearance and kept him linked to Slave 1.

Boba would not fail his father again. He took a seat on the edge of the bunk, fully alert and watchful of any change. She was different from anybody he had seen in person so far. Pale, but not as pale as Taun We and much smaller. Otherwise her face was smooth and hairless like his, but her scalp hair was considerably longer and less curly. There seemed to be a little paint on her face that rubbed off on his fingertips easily. He had seen painted faces in a camouflage instruction manual, but this was different!

Boba shrugged and rubbed his hand clean on his pants. And she smelled different, not of rain or antiseptic or musk, but of green plants and something indefinable. "I think she is breathing more often now, dad."

Jango entered with the box, a medkit and a bottle of water. "Wake-up time." He injected a mild stimulant then withdrew. Her eyes started fluttering, and then she coughed, straining against the belts to turn on her side. Boba jumped off the edge of the cot "Tomoe? You alright?"

Her eyes opened with a blank stare, and then she settled her head down and smiled "I think so, …Boba," she croaked before having another coughing fit. "Good to see you well." her lips formed while her eyes wandered over the room, spotting the man leaning against the doorframe. She acknowledged him with a slight nod, her gaze switching back to the kid slowly. She had a hell of a headache, her chest hurt from at least one blow, her hand and feet were numb and freezing cold and part of her clothing was missing. The cramped surroundings and the hum of machinery told her that she was in a vehicle of sorts.

"Please... water." Boba picked up the bottle, looked at his father, then moved to lift her head and help her drink without touching the restraints that held her down. Jango quickly stepped in, unbuckled the security belt over her chest and propped her up. Tomoe took a swig to loosen the lump in her throat, then another one to wash it down. Inching backwards, she leaned against the wall. He stood "Thank you," she sounded a lot better. "I don't think we have been introduced... I'm Tomoe Harada." Bowing seated felt strange.

"Fett." He watched her compassion vanishing under a mask of friendly profession... and hated it.

"I'm honored to meet you, Mr. Fett." She showed no sign of recognition but smiled. "Forgive my curiosity, but I don't know where I am."

"You were laying in a walkway unconscious when I came looking for my son. It seemed you were in need of medical attention. Are you alright now?"

"I'm improving, thank you, I don't think I'll faint again. Are you a doctor?"

"No, I am a military advisor... with some first aid skills."

"How long have I been out?" She had the feeling that she should have arrived in hospital in the meantime, but she couldn't blame anybody without proof, especially no guest.

He faked concern "Several minutes," it was time she started to answer questions instead of asking questions, "Are you overworked?"

"Sir..." She looked him over and shook her head slightly "Our resort's culture would not allow that, you know." - Silence – No, she would not ask who invited this guy. "The rhythm is important to the form... I cannot hurry up and expect my guest to relax, can I?" this conversion was painfully one-sided "Like the wind brushing the tree-tops, the fire takes it's time to embrace the log, the water to hum it's song before it settles into earthenware." She chuckled and looked around at the grey wall panels "Of cause I am aware that there are quicker ways of brewing tea, high-tech ones... which makes the difference."

"Is that all you do... brewing tea?" he huffed, fighting the soothing effect of Tomoe's low voice. He wasn't here for therapy.

"...yes, and I tend to the Nanakusa-Cottage and my guests' wishes."

"Like?"

"Food, beverage, entertainment, wellness - room service and arrangements..." his interrogatory tone was getting to her, "You can ask your personal host whatever you want," she tried to soften the bluntness.

"Sounds great." He tried a thin smile "What did _your_ guest want?"

"Confidential service is guaranteed to all guests."

"C'mon, give me some inspiration," his dark eyes continued to bore into her silence "You were so brave some moments ago... My son told me."

"Everybody protects children."

He snorted "Your sort is known to be squeamish, maid. But you have nothing to fear. Now tell me."

Her _sort_? - "Why don't you end this game, Mr. Fett? I can smell the blood on you. I was mistaken to protect your son from yourself and I can hardly trust in any 'favor' you offer me in return. You are no guest at all. If you were, you would know that hosts don't talk about guests." Tomoe stared at the massive frame of the mercenary approaching her.

"Silence is your most valued specialty, isn't it? Which happens to be just the opposite of one of my talents." The threat was clearly audible when he sat down on the edge of the bed, catching her tender wrist in his crushing grasp.

"Charming. So you answer questions about my guest and I answer questions about myself... deal?"

"What makes a pretty maid so damn stubborn about such a simple question?" he asked, surprised by her non-reaction at the pain.

"Loyalty to the fundamentals of my existence: my surroundings, my family, my arts-training. What did you do to my guest and where is he?"

"Mr. Oniro was stunned and put in a holding cell on the cargo-level. What art is that?"

"Dance and flute-play. Where are you taking Mr. Oniro?"

"To his family's home world. You dance in this... isn't it a bit heavy?" his fingertips ran lightly over the multitude of collars at her throat.

It was all a game to him - and she didn't like it. "Traditional shape is essential for classic dance, for the movement of the hands, the feet and neck. It stopped being heavy once I got used to it... like your armor, I suppose." She snatched the trailing hand by the base of the thumb before it could reach her throat and shoved it in front of his face "I believe this appendage belongs to you," she never stopped talking but let go of his hand, "Why had Mr. Oniro's family to use force? His return was scheduled in a couple of days."

"His family doesn't trust in that and his wife is quite touchy about concurrence. Which could be linked to your policy of silence."

"I understand... and you do your best to complete their picture." She tilted her head slightly, her lips pressed together firmly. "Please let me see Mr. Oniro. We need to figure out how to clear up this misunderstanding. I'll explain our customs to Mrs. Oniro when we arrive."

"Clear speech isn't your talent. Stay with me and I protect you."

"I would rather spend the rest of the flight on the cargo level."

"Your choice." He backed away and thought 'Bad idea but a lesson required.'

Tomoe stood, placed the box with her belongings on the bed and turned her back on Fett. She unfolded the sash from the box, wrapped and knotted it around her waist with swift, fluid motions that put his undressing attempts to shame. 'like your armor' he replayed in his mind. Missing all hairpins, she braided her waist-long hair loosely and put it up with the comb, placing the now empty box aside. "It's well past your bedtime, Boba." She swatted down to pull the boots off his feet and tucked the half asleep boy in. "Sleep well." – "You too." Boba mumbled. She turned on her heel and moved to the only door, closely followed by the bounty hunter.

Passing the cockpit locker he retrieved his helmet. Tomoe glanced over her shoulder before climbing down to the cargo level. 'What's wrong with his face?' she wondered, biting back a rude comment about feature-improvement. His looks weren't the problem but what he did to the lives of his son, her guest and herself, his violence seeping into the last corner of the cramped surroundings. If she couldn't fight it, she would do her best to ignore it and stay civil.

Oniro stood at the sound of combined footfalls to catch a glimpse at Tomoe descending the ladder on her own but then locked his eyes to the metal floor. At least she didn't appear more disheveled or bruised than before. This time, he kept his fingers well away from the bars when the unarmored bounty hunter passed him. She stepped into the cage the T-shaped visor was pointing out, sat on her heels and waited for him to leave, her calm demeanor gathering around her like an invisible wall. Jango slammed the cage shut and went back to the cockpit, monitoring the cargo-area from there.

Tomoe lifted her head "Mr. Oniro... I'm very sorry." she bowed, her slender fingertips brushing the sterile metal floor of the cage "How are you?"

"I'm going to be ok. I've got a headache – similar to yours, I suppose. Dear, you should worry about yourself." He shrugged and pulled his robe tightly around him, pushing his cold hands up the sleeves. "I'll be ok, without me they could kiss their mainframe goodbye... but what about you...?"

"Your wife... she wouldn't do anything illicit, would she? Seriously, _nothing_ happened. I will explain it, even invite her to make her understand."

"She doesn't need to do something illicit! Different planet, different customs."

"But there must be some sense of pertinence? Don't they have a hotel sector where you come from?"

"Not like that... there are strict rules for separation and veiling and so on. It's so dull, I needed a holiday." He curled up and scratched his head intensely "Seriously, try hard and keep that bounty hunter from handing you over."

Tomoe looked at him, arching a brow "I just told him that I have my own mind and that I'm going to defend my honour if required. Besides, I can't see a way to make myself indispensable to this man."

"Aww... I'm sure you could charm birds out of the trees, Tomoe-chan."

"Thank you, Oniro-sama." she hid her giggle behind a sleeved palm "Yes... if he was one, I could still hardly imagine a supportive branch." She feigned a crunching sound and Oniro bit back a laugh. "Tell me more about your homeworld's culture and society..." she returned to quiet, enjoyable tone.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - He who hires my hand, hires my whole self.

One hour later, the Slave I exited hyperspace and its pilot went through the landing routine, announcing his arrival to his employer. Jango sat the ship down on the landing pad gently to keep his son sleeping then went to fetch the merchandise. "Get out and extend your hands." He tightened a pair of binders around the female's wrists and shoved her forwards to repeat the procedure with Oniro, his gloved, armored hand tapping the code in the key-pad of the cage.

Tomoe struggled briefly, untied a shawl from her sash and passed it to the other captive "Take this until our 'guardian of dignity' decides to return your clothing to you," she scathed and stared at the T-shaped visor. Oniro seized the chance to belt his robe before the binders closed around his wrists. Fett secured another pair connecting the captives' elbows, "Move." It didn't take another push to get the merchandize off his ship.

Tomoe blinked at the sun shining high over the buildings, the heat reflecting in the permacrete pit of the landing area, searing through the thick soles of her white socks. She agreed fully with the brisk pace of the bounty hunter who shoved them over the landing ramp to a shuttle with tinted rear windows waiting at the hangar bay.

"Welcome home, Mr. Oniro," the bald heavyset man servant in a suit flashed a smile that didn't touch his eyes, "and the infamous Fett, I suppose... please accompany us." He opened the back door for them flashing the slight bulge of a blaster in a shoulder holster. Tomoe was packed in the ice-cold, air-conditioned vehicle between a sweating, nervous Oniro and an armored, stoic mercenary. She sat straight and tried to memorize the way through the industrial area of the spaceport and between endless white windowless walls, taking turns from time to time.

A faceless gate swallowed the ground transport and Fett herded his captives over a small court into a dim lit building. The man servant bothered to slip out of his shoes, but his beckoning to the visitors just earned him a cold stare from a T-shaped visor, reminding him that Fett's service had limits. The entrance hall's impressive dimensions were stuffed with furniture, the bright colors of the thick carpets and wall-hangings smudged by a mixture of warm and cold, sickly sweet smoke hanging in the air. Part of it was produced by two guys unwinding on a low cushioned couch in the corner.

A tall thin man in a floor length, floating robe and a small cap sitting on top of his immaculate haircut entered the room through an ornate door in the opposite wall. He acknowledged Oniro with a quick glimpse, then had a close look at the female tied to him by the wrist. "Very good, Mr. Fett, you have found my brother-in-law faster than expected. And this is the woman who was with him?" he ran his eyes up and down her form like a connoisseur, "How do we know it's the right one?"

"Sir, I'm Tomoe Harada, house mother of the Nanakusa-Cottage, of the reputable Sen-Ike-resort. Mr. Oniro was our respectable guest. Please, put an end to this degrading treatment so I can put an end to your irritation."

"Is that all you have to offer, Fett – her word?" The lord of the manor was good at filtering content obviously, ignoring the request.

Fett's left hand rested lightly on his blaster as the man servant approached his merchandise, a cutter in hand. "And some evidence," he flipped a datachip at his contractor.

"Accountant." Oniro's brother-in-law stirred up the two men from their couch to replay the material on the portable interface one of them carried. He then turned back to his accountant without further notion "Transfer the full ten grands to Fett's account."

The bounty hunter acknowledged the transfer with a court nod and strode out.

"Now my dear brother, let's get a rid of those binders." The master of the house beckoned the servants to take over the prisoner while he took an amicable hold on Oniro's shoulders and led him to the ornate door. "Relax, take a bath and find some sleep. You are home."

"But... Ms. Harada...?" Oniro halted.

"Shhh... we'll take care of it." He whispered something in Oniro's ear that made him blush fiercely and hurry for the doorway.

Tomoe found herself standing in the middle of the large room, the non-introduced threesome circling her like vultures. She could have sworn she heard the rustling of fabric in the smoky shadows of the balustrade. "Mrs. Oniro?" she raised her voice gently "I swear, nothing unethical happened at the Sen-ike-resort."

"Shut up and answer my questions." Oniro's brother-in-law re-emerged, "You have been in the same room as Mr. Oniro?"

"Yes."

"You were clad like you are now?"

"Yes."

"You have touched Mr. Oniro?"

"I can hardly deny it the way I was marched in here."

"Shut up. Yes or no?"

"Yes."

"You know that Mr. Oniro is a married man?"

"Yes."

He turned to the accountant. "You've heard it. Complete the paper work," he pointed at the man-servant "You take her to the market."

"Sire, remember even if there was a problem according to your local customs, you can't deny me a judicial decision. The authorities of my home planet have to be notified. And you would need four male witnesses."

"Wise gal... incidentally I'm a judge, you just confessed in front of three witnesses plus I have some juicy evidence of witness number four." He ran a finger along her cheek, then lifted her chin gently for close inspection "Rejoice in my mercy, I could have flogged you to death, isn't it... my dear sister?" He raised his voice.

"Are you married, judge...? Because you are touching me and I don't want to get another sentence." Tomoe whispered.

"You won't have any more problems like that, pet, because legally - you are no longer a person." He snatched the pouch from her collar, opening the ID "Tomoe Harada... what a shame. But it helps to refinance our efforts." He flipped the card at the accountant.

"I want that dress," interfered a muffled female voice from the balustrade.

"Strip," The manservant cut the binders and jerked at the stiff collar of the under robe with little result, "don't make me drag you out of it," he growled as he felt the fabric yanked from his fingers by the heavy weight of her back and shoulder leaning back in a fluid move. He let go before it pulled him off balance.

"You'll find it useless to you, Mrs. Oniro." Tomoe shook her head and started untying a narrow ribbon, "memorize my actions step by step... learn to move as I move... to think as I think... then you'll probably realize the mistake you make." The sash and the outer robe cascaded to the ground in a puddle of silk.

"And that red robe! I want that, too!" Mrs. Oniro whined from the balustrade.

A shroud of crimson tie-dyed silk billowed over the heap on the ground that had been a living being to Tomoe a moment ago. She lifted the hem of her white cotton wrap skirt slightly to step over it. "Make sure you dry that thoroughly," she hissed at the man-servant who seized her and secured her hands behind her back with another pair of binders.

Jango didn't listen to the argument but passed the court and doorway. Behind the first corner, he reached into his utility belt and programmed a surveillance remote. A flip of his wrist sent a small silver ball into the sky. At maximum climb, the drone extended its wings and whizzed off while the bounty hunter continued his walk down the dusty road and ordered a cab for transport and local recce.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - Money is power.

Tomoe's shoulders hurt from the strain when she was pushed out into the harsh light of the afternoon. The day seemed to be endless, as if an evil fate hit re-wind again and again. She felt the bile rising in her throat when she was thrown face down on the backseat, the door slamming shut against her toes. She curled up and moved in a sitting position, spotting the walrus face of the driver in the rear-view mirror.

She returned his stare silently. If he didn't pay attention and crashed, just the better. It would be easier to convince the police forces of this place to contact home than to exit from a speeding vehicle with an armed chauffeur. "I don't like that look, Missy," he grumbled, "whatever you have planned, knock it off."

"Thank you for the advice." Tomoe retorted with a smile and a small nod. She knew she needed a break to preserve some straight thinking despite the exhaustion. She wouldn't waste her energy on someone used to hitting and be hit.

The shuttle seemed to have returned to the industrial area of the space port and pulled up to a guarded gate in a high, faceless boundary wall. Some traffic of pedestrians, ground transports of all sizes and shapes and four legged saurian creatures was conducted through the gate into a market area. Walrus parked and opened the backdoor, "Get out." As Tomoe twisted towards him in compliance, he seized her by the upper arm, dragged her out and pressed her against the back of the car with his full weight. He slammed the door shut and locked it. "Do not make me harm you Missy. It is my responsibility to get you to the traders. But my report to them on your conduct will go a long way to how you are treated."

"Yes," her voice became as soft as her padded form when she turned her head and breathed into walrus' ear, "What do you want me to do?"

"Shut up and walk in front of me," irritated, he pushed his prisoner forwards to a low white building bordering the pathway.

Thick walls kept the heat outside a spacious office room, sparsely decorated with printed artwork, half of the floor covered with a lush carpet. It was dominated by a large desk with a small old man with a wrinkly face behind it who took his time to finish whatever he was reading. Then the trader lifted his gaze at the woman with a noisy walrus on the heels. "What do you want?" he rasped instead of a welcome.

Tomoe bowed silently at the trader, then curtsied and smiled at walrus with her head slightly tilted.

"This slave is for sale." Walrus remembered.

"No interest." The trader winked and went back to what he was reading.

"She's obedient, good health, full papers."

"We don't trade in cattle," the trader replied flatly.

Tomoe took a deep breath "I am no cattle, Sir. I'm a trained dancer, musician and a licensed entertainer." She took four light quick steps forwards, "an off-worldly one, as you presume, but I can assure you: this place is more exotic to me than I appear to you. Please have a look at the papers Mr. Oniro's guard brought with him."

These were probably the first full sentences of a female the trader had heard in weeks. "Exotic?" he grumbled and went around his desk, catching Tomoe's jaw between his gaunt fingertips and moved it from right to left. "Pretty average... what could you probably do for me?" he grabbed the papers from Walrus.

"I could widen your range of products, entertain you and your guests while you are looking for my match ...and if it's hard to find one, you could negotiate a fee for my return with my corporation."

"So they would pay to have you back?" he flipped through the sheets of flimsy in his left.

"They will... in order to amortize the mortgage for my training fully."

"How did you get here _today_ in first place?"

"A bounty hunter named Fett captured me and handed me over to the Oniro-clan."

"I see." The trader pondered. The papers stank. The merchandise was battered and weary. It would take days to recover. And worst: what had worked once could happen again - at his expenses. "How much?"

"Ten thousand" Walrus retorted, happy to be back in business.

"You must be joking." For that amount plus interest, this 'Sen-Ike-Corporation' (whatever it was) could hire a pack of bounty hunters, which would leave him less time to attract bidders for an worthwhile auction... and then he'd have to provide secure custody... against the infamous Fett who'd work for the highest bidder ... No, he didn't need that, he was too old for that! "Get out of my office."

"Nine thousand?"

"GET OUT OR I CALL THE GUARDS."

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience." Tomoe padded back to her watchdog, "Be assured of my company's kind interest in your scope of service." She bowed, turned and stepped out into the bright sunlight. The financial interest had been wiped more by fear at the mentioning of the mercenary's name than by the price. Fett. Maybe there was more about it than she thought something that could work to her advantage. For now she would try to place as many homing beacons as possible and stay unsold without being beaten into pulp.

A harsh push shoved her further down the pathway. "We've got some more options, Missy." Walrus snarled.

In the next office a brawny guardsman wrapped in dusty brown cloth discussed something with his boss. The man was clean shaven, had nearly shoulder length hair that was tightly tied back in a ponytail, he wore expensive clothing, immaculate pressed slacks, a turtleneck and an expensive nerf-leather jacket. They stopped their conversation immediately at the sound of the door. "Guard the door... You have something to sell?"

"Yes, this pleasure slave." Walrus marched her in the middle of the room "Stand still," he ordered quietly and stood back. Tomoe tensed slightly against the binders tying her hands on her back.

"Oh - really?" a hint of amusement swung in the slavers baritone voice at the sight of the shapeless form clad in a somewhat baggy shift and skirt "Pregnant?" He suddenly reached out, grabbed her braided hair and twisted her head to face him, his dark predatory eyes boring into pools of ebony. His well manicured hand made short process with the shift and a top, dragging out a couple of towels padding out the hourglass shape of her slim waist. "Now... not a very co-operative pretty lady, is she?" He chuckled then reached up and began to grab one of her breasts, his smooth fingers harshly rolling her nipple. He spotted a bluish bruise on her left pectoral, "More of a freshly caught tomboy... Still on tranqs?" he inquired sharply at her empty stare and non-reaction at his taunts.

'Panic?' his hands smoothed over her flat, rock hard stomach "Shhh," he soothed. Immediately his eyes and voice were calm, soothing again. "I really do not want to make this hard on you. Just co-operate with me, and then things around here go smoothly, easily." His other hand had released her hair and was stroking her face now, trailing down her throat and running gently over her shoulder. "What sort of pleasure?"

Tomoe waited, her face a calm mask. 'Just bent down a little more so I can head-butt your nose into your brain' One hand caressed her breast while his other slid down further. Releasing her breast he slid around her, groping her hips and buttock. "How long do you think you can keep up this... tension

Walrus stared "Well, she's a trained entertainer... speak up, tell him some details," he barked.

"For... hours." Tomoe whispered in the slaver's ear "As he said, I'm well trained in dancing, flute playing, serving food and beverages, maintaining a proper household..."

"Ahhh... that's why you were found guilty of impure behavior," a heavy hand crashed down in the curve of her neck so hard her knees buckled. "you'll just have to relearn some things," He stepped around the kneeling woman and grabbed her hair again, jerked her head to face him while unzipping his fly "Flute playing for example."

"Blood tastes metallic... it will purify what you soiled... while... I watch you die." the previously absent dark pools of her eyes were covered in ice as she bared white teeth. The grip on her hair was released with a harsh push of instinct which momentum she used to roll back on her feet. She could have sworn she had heard a yelp, but her opponent regained his composure quickly.

"Do you want me to..." he hesitated in the middle of a bone jarring slap. Without another word he realised she would and worse, he would have to pay for any damage he inflicted. "This one will take a lot of training. But I'm willing to sell her on commission for you. She might earn you 2 grands for now, but once she's broken in, it might be 10. Then we share 50/50."

"On commission... and you bear the risk?" Walrus inquired.

"Of course not. She's completely mad."

"Hm, I might take you up on that offer... after inquiry."

"Agreed." the slaver turned and strolled back to his desk. "Here's one advice for free... gag her before she bites off her own tongue." He summoned his guard to help Walrus to force a lump made from her top between her teeth and secure it with a binder.

The Walrus dragged Tomoe outside, then peered at her and smoothed her torn shirt back up around her shoulders. "Let's try something more exotic." He dragged her around the bend of the pathway into the area where the market bordered to the spaceport. He banged his fist against a wide roller gate which was in turn levitated just enough to allow a ducked entrance, the gaping dark hole behind swallowing them.

"Ahh, fresh meat..." a toothy voice homed in. When her eyes accustomed to the gloom, Tomoe spotted a bulky head with long, twitching tentacles and a mouth full of pointed teeth. A long, slender, taloned claw patted Walrus hand to release her. "We'll take it from here," the blue Twilek beckoned her into the beam of only dirty roof light and turned to a small stand nearby, snapping on a pair of gloves. His cold hand pushed the shirt off her chest and shoulders, securing her upper arms further. Then a probe scratched over the smooth skin of her side, drawing blood the second time. He snapped the probe into an analysis slot and huffed "clean" at the read-out and "bend her over" at a dark corner of the room.

The red blinking light sitting there started to move. What Tomoe had taken for a device of sorts uncoiled into a seven feet high, hairy beast standing on two lanky legs. The light came from a visor covering part of the gash where its left eye had once been. It charged with a low roar. Instinctively Tomoe ducked under its swinging left, but her dash was ended by the beast's incredibly long right arm that came down on her neck and shoulder. Before she hit the ground, she was folded up neatly face to ankles, her back and cuffed arms pressed against the hairy columns of the beast's thighs. It sniffed and groaned, tearing the remains of her skirt from her hips. The moment the fabric gave way, Tomoe whipped up a heel, hitting the beast square on the wide forehead. It bellowed in surprise and bundled her up again, lifting her off her feet and pressed her tightly against its chest.

"Be still." The toothy voice of the unaffected Twilek ordered her and continued the investigation of her body, clinical and professional, like some sadistic scientist.

"Hmm. If her teeth are ok, I offer 2.5 thousand credits."

"They are. Leave the gag, it keeps her from biting her tongue off."

"I'd like to check myself."

"You damage the merchandise, you pay. It's 3 grands."

"No worries." The Twilek turned to his stand again, picking up an injector. The hairy beast hoisted his captive up to face his partner. His muzzle dug into the mob of ebony black hair, inhaling deeply. "She won't bite anybody soon." He placed injections on the right and left sides of her mandible, her jaw growing numb instantly. He watched her compelled swallow with scientific interest, then removed the gag and regarded her molars with a small flashlight. "Good. No more than 2.5 thousand credits though. Pharmaceuticals and extra restraints are expensive."

"Your Wookie won't have trouble restraining her. 2.9"

"An infatuated Wookie is no bonus, it's a problem. 2.5" The Twilek cocked his head at the low groan of his partner "Ok, 2.6 is our last offer. He says: take it and get lost."

Walrus stared at the red pulse of the visor and the bulky shoulder of the Twilek's Wookie-partner. This was the best offer he got and he had been told to complete business the same day. Besides, he wasn't paid enough to cross such a beast. "2.6 then - agreed." He exchanged some sheets of flimsy against a credit chip and secured the transaction. Then the roller gate screeched close behind him.

Meanwhile, Jango returned to the Slave I parked in the spaceport among other ships of similar size. Its visible weapon systems helped to disperse any interest sparked by the unique layout.

Seated in the co-pilot's seat, Boba hung his head backwards to face him when he climbed into the cockpit. "Delivery went as planned?" he picked up his father's professional ductus. They were a team after all, even though this didn't feel like a winning moment to him.

"Yes," Jango pulled himself up into the pilot's seat. He settled in, watched Boba's disappointed face then activated a monitor and control board over their heads.

"Don't we leave now?" Boba regarded the untouched flight controls, then the top view of the buildings flickering in sight on the other monitor.

"Not yet." Jango opened the fastenings of his helmet and pulled it over his head, smirking at the 'Why?' imprinted on his son's face. "We eat something first, maybe pick something up afterwards."

"I'm not hungry."

"You want to grow?"

"Sure."

"Then you have to eat."

"Okay... What's so interesting in this picture?"

"You said that Tomoe was 'nice'."

"Who cares? She's gone."

"Into this building." Jango tapped on the screen and immediately had Boba's interest, "and you, my son, are in need of a baby sitter."

Boba pouted. "I don't…" He wasn't a baby! Then he got around his dad's smirk "Uhm... okay?" He swallowed the rest of his protest and returned his gaze to the monitor.

"Since this is settled, we eat."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 - No friends, no enemies. Only allies and adversaries.

The Twilek returned his attention to the fresh merchandise, secured a collar around her neck then removed the binders from her wrists. Tomoe felt the circulation return painfully. But whatever she tried to break free, it just drained what little strength was left to her. The Wookie's large paws seized her like a ragdoll and shredded the remaining clothing. He clamped her securely under his armpit to pick something off the concrete floor then pushed through a door in the back of the hall. The blinding light outside didn't affect him. He sat her down on a stone block and gave her just enough leeway to scramble into a sitting position and clutch her own knees. Patting her head with an approving growl he started to untangle her hair deliberately. She recognized that is was her lacquered comb in the giant's hairy paw that spread her dark tresses gently around her shoulders like a curtain. He was obviously enjoying himself but eventually left her alone.

Tomoe lifted her head slightly to have a glimpse around. By the high wall of the building, several bodies in different states of undress reclined under a marquee. Skin and scales and fur in all colors. The backyard to the left was deserted, some dividers flapped lazily in the afternoon heat; the backyard to the right was stuffed with trash or spare parts higher than its boundary wall. There was very little traffic on the connective road. Even in case she dared to find out what sort of collar pressed on her shoulders, there wasn't a place to run for. No hiding in the crowd naked as she was, no asking for help and no running faster than a Wookie with sore ribs, bruised wrists, knees and shoulder, dehydration and a lack of sleep weighting on her heavily. With no shadow provided, a sunburn would add to her hurting collection within the hour. She had to buy time if she wanted to be found. She closed her eyes and tried to become one with the stone below.

A conversation in her back shook her mind from its lethargy.

"Strange figurehead today, thought they were specialized on off-world merchandise? But that's a nice peach, admitted."

"It probably is, considering that flushed ripe color." A callused hand rubbed the heated dry skin of her backside and patted her butt "Up." No reaction.

"Right. I'll enjoy its transformation into a rich blue plum in a few." A muscular elbow sneaked around her chin, then jerked her backwards in a vice like grip. "Let's see... just the right amount of eyes, lips,..." the other thug slapped her defensive hands away "...nipples..." the groping hands stopped squeezing her breasts, grabbed her ankles instead and pulled her flat over the block.

"No, I can't afford your list prices. Just checking. Auction starts 0900 tomorrow? ...Found something, boyz?" the business end of a leather scourge drew a line between her breasts. "What's up with this one?" a sleazy man asked the Twilek slaver.

The Twilek just grinned and shrugged his shoulders.

"You mean I should find out myself?" the potential customer smiled. Tomoe wretched an ankle free to kick the thug securing the other heel. The three men wrestled her down in no time. "Fighting makes it only better," the nasty smile widened as he slapped the scourge lazily over the writhing body below.

She could hear other men raucous laugh and cheering at the display. Her naked body was spread out like a banquet for their greedy eyes. She focused her remaining energy on tightening her abdominal muscles and her consciousness on breathing, blending out the pain.

The Twilek stepped in "You damage her, you pay for it."

The leader looked up but ground down harder in spite, shoving the tense body out of the hold of the distracted thugs and over the edge – literally. The fall of the block triggered the stun-collar. Spasms roll over her body and finally, the world went black around her.

"_Poodoo._" The thugs shook the stun jolts from their hands and hoisted the unconscious body back on the block. "She's a looker, but a bit of a slow cummer, huh?" the customer snorted at the Twilek "Tiny, poor response..."

The Twilek seized the arm of the potential bidder and pushed away from the audience to stifle the complaints "C'mon, that's what perfectly fresh merchandise is about. It will accustom to your use of it." He licked his pointed teeth and watched the prone form like a piece of meat. He patted his arm and walked him back, whispering aloud "This slave is strong and agile and it has a very useful feature... Pain gets it off."

"I might have use for that..." The customer shrugged his shoulders and walked away with his thugs, the crowd scattered slowly at the lack of entertainment.

The Twilek pulled a vial from his pouch and made the unconscious woman breath in the contents. The burning in her sinuses brought her back. "Get up, no sleeping at work," he scolded and sat her up, placing her arms around her knees, "There you go. And try to stay on the block next time"

Tomoe shivered in the hot air. 'Pull yourself together,' she commanded herself, fighting for breath. 'I'm part of the stone... I'm not there... Relax... Nobody is here.' It seemed to work, but she didn't know for how long until a gloved hand touched her bare foot. Not rough, very gently yet purposefully it slid up to her clenched hands. Ignoring it would only anger its owner and waste the little leeway she had. She unlocked the hold around her knees and lifted her head, just to stare into an all too familiar T-shaped visor.

"Would you like me to buy you?" Fett's speaker-obscured voice asked as he gently lifted the curtain of hair away from her face and over her shoulder.

Even if she could have told him, Tomoe had no answer to his question. But she definitely had a use for the blasters in his holster.

On the opposite side of the visor, Jango grinned when her eyes left his face and he felt her gaze slipping lower. The boring mask was gone and that irresistible feral look had resurfaced. He thumbed the injection point under her jaw gently "Ah, they silenced you... so... nod if you do."

Tomoe leaned her jaw heavily into his hand and turned to kneel. 'Grab weapon, pull arm and kick to the head. Then let the blaster's business-end speak.'

He ruined the plan as simply as reaching over the weapon into a pocket of his utility belt in the same instant "A sensible decision at least..." he stepped around the block. "Stand." Every muscle tense, her gaze followed every movement. She quickly complied, shaken by low blood pressure, dehydration and unspent adrenaline. "No. Turn around." He ran a quick health check, accounting a collection of welts, cuts and bruises... nothing he could not handle with on-board medicine. "Sit down." He firmly pressed something cool and moist on her spine. It made her skin crawl and twitch but his gloved palm held her down while the fluid reacted with the acidic nature of her skin. "This will help you to stay out of trouble with such _hut'uun_," he told her in low voice, and then withdrew a step at the appearance of the Twilek-slaver.

"Are you interested in this fine specimen?"

"Possibly."

The Twilek retrieved the collar controls from a pocket of his robes "Feel free to check it out. If you want her to move around a little, I'll enlarge the area of the remote."

"I already did. No change of condition, if you want a bid tomorrow." He turned on his heel and walked away briskly.

Tomoe could not see what kind of mark the bounty hunter had placed on her. It burned, but the sting was bearable. Nevertheless, the slaver would take out his anger on her whenever he noticed. She didn't know why he hadn't yet, with her reddened backside in plain view. She quickly shook her hair to cover up the burning spot.

"Rub that on your skin, pet," the Twilek held a vial out to her, "Sun protection." He bared his pointed teeth in a poor resemblance of human body language. 'Better late than never.' Tomoe thought, but took the vial anyway and applied it quickly and efficiently. If that blue piece of headtailed trash had planned a show for the audience, he was to be disappointed.

The sun's last beams sank behind the junkyard's walls while a gang of spoilt teenagers that gathered at the corner had grown strong enough to go exploring and started at the block in front. The leers of the approaching pack were accompanied by lewd comments as they circled around. She knelt motionless, waiting for the alpha male to reach the next level of escalation, then whirled around, caught and twisted the groping hand into a lock, using the momentum to smash its owners ribs against the edge of the marble block. "Tsk tsk tsk..." she stared in his shocked expression, and then raised the pressure on the lock to keep others from moving in.

Their leader took the hint quickly enough "No, no stay away..." he whined. Tomoe straightened up and motioned the rest of the gang to leave. Eyes wandered over her naked form down her muscular thigh and the overly stretched arm of their cringing boss. This wasn't a pleasure slave they could pester at will, but a raging beast. "Let me go, you..." She shut him up by grinding down her heel into his shoulder and snarled at the reluctant faces all around and shook her hair over her bare breasts. "... please." The haughty request ended in pleading. "Mandalorian..." was huffed in her back "What?" there was a shuffle of feet "on her back... run!" The whole crowd rushed off into the direction they came from, shouting at each other.

Tomoe snorted and threw her head back, kicking the leader off the marble block as if it was the step-up to her throne. She sat down when he hobbled away clutching his side, speed up noticeably after a glimpse at her spine. 'Do I want to know?' she wondered silently and sat down with her back to the street. The stone was exhaling the heat of the day.

"No, they would have given her just what she needs but she really messes up any chance. No, I don't think they would have hurt her seriously," the Twilek returned with the Wookie in tow. 'Better never than late.' She thought... They couldn't be serious?

"On the second thought... pity she didn't break something," the Twilek told the Wookie with a shrug, "The natives take revenge very serious and pay well to get it. Let's see what scared them off... oh damn, what a mark!" The Wookie whooped questionably. "The deep red shape on... the lesser red." He realized that his furry partner was probably red-green blind like a good dog and rubbed his bulgy blue forehead. The muscle was handy anyway. "It's ok, clean her up and call it a night. I have to rethink our marketing strategy." He passed the collar controls to the Wookie "She's all yours," he went to gather the other merchandise from under the marquee, herding them inside.

Tomoe stared at the approaching Wookie and knew she had no chance to fight this giant. She moaned in an attempt to speak up. The beast whooped back and patted her head in a patronizing gesture. 'Gestures...' maybe she could communicate with it after all. She rapped the wide furry chest with her fingertips to get his attention, quickly withdrawing to signalize /I... clean ... myself... thank you./ she supported herself on his arm to step off the block and stagger inside.

The beast rested his single, intelligent eye on her hands and tilted his head, scooping her up unceremoniously as soon as her feet touched the ground. /No way, cub. You stink,/ he growled and locked the door behind him. In a corner of the hall, he retrieved a bucket and a cloth, then sat down on the cold concrete floor and bent her over a knee, her upper body tugged safely under his armpit.

He started lathering her back gently, washed away the soap and traced the still visible outline with a fingertip. Tomoe relaxed and concentrated. It felt like... a skull? She didn't want to be marked like a criminal, let alone with an ugly skull etched in her back. Startled, the Wookie propped her limp form up and patted her cheek. /Hey, you're ok?/ She picked up the sponge, ushered him to take it and turned around for him to wash her back. She kept her hair dry and supported herself with a hand on her knee while he scrubbed her back harder.

The furry beast obviously wasn't vile like the blue one. They could not talk, but they could communicate nevertheless. She scooped a handful of water from the bucket. It felt divine on her burning face and dry lips. When she looked over her shoulder, her hollowed palm asking for a drink of water, the Wookie actually went to find some and she got to wash and towel off herself.

The Wookie returned with a bottle, her comb and a strange look in his eye reminding her of the 'infatuation' the Twilek had mentioned. She took small swigs from the bottle to stay occupied as long as possible. The Wookie huffed low, stepped around her and started combing her tousled hair. She took another swig and looked around in the hall unobtrusively, realizing that she was the only other 'furry' being left in the room. The Wookie was nuzzling her neck now, his breath warming her skin. He couldn't possibly mistake her as a mate of his own race just because she had scalp hair and the right number of appendages? She knew that neither martial art nor feral aggression would keep him from doing so.

She put the bottle down carefully and picked up the comb the Wookie had abandoned to grab fistfuls of her hair to rub it all over his face with a soft groan. 'It's just my hair conditioner,' she told herself, 'smells like catnip to him somehow. Grooming is their way to socialize. Relax and return the act of courtesy.' She stroked his chest, then patted his shoulder to sit down and lifted the comb in front of his good eye. He willingly let her run spread fingers through the pelt, her fingertips seeking out the small hollows where the ears met his wide skull. He leaned into her and closed his one eye slowly. She sighed in relief and continued working on his matted fur, her legs shaking. Grooming this giant deep pile carpet would keep her safe all night.

Once the Wookie forced himself to let go of the wonderful scent he managed to restrain himself. She hid it well but he could smell his action had frightened the small one. He didn't want that. Panic was unhealthy. She was cute in her own way... she had talented hands and a little fur, black as a night of sparkling stars, smelling like a dew-kissed meadow in autumn on Kashyyyk. /Here we go again... concentrate!/ he huffed. He was definitely homesick, but there was no going back for an outcast like him.

She flinched and stopped combing; rubbing the spot she had probably hurt. "Uhmmhmmm..." Just when she thought that he had calmed a little.

He steadied her by clasping a long arm around her bare backside. /It's ok, please continue./ he nuzzled his face against the soft mounds of her breasts to get the overdose of autumn grasses out of his sinuses. Her naked skin didn't smell so bad since it was cleansed of the multitude of odor marks. Just sweet and moist and female. It didn't help his problem. He caught his paws kneading her buttocks and let go before his claws could penetrate the muscle any deeper.

'Careful... grooming is probably as much of a pacifier as a turn-on.' Tomoe pushed his forehead away casually to comb the longish fur on his neck and shoulders, and then slipped out of his grasp to continue on his back. She realized that she would probably need a brush or even better a razor to make a difference, tied her hair into a loose braid and put it up with her comb after dropping a large bunch of Wookie-pelt.

He sniffed and his head sank on his chest. The intoxicating scent had thinned to a comfortable level. She continued to massage the soft spots behind his ears soothingly. It was so good he nearly fell asleep on the hall's permacrete floor. He shrugged his wide shoulders and got up with a yawn, spotting his Twilek partner making calls. He didn't care. One arm tightly around the human's slim waist, he half carried, half dragged her to his padded nest in a corner and curled up around her.

A moment later he was fast asleep, dreaming of meadows on Kashyyyk and ignoring his Twilek-companion kicking his ribs "Hey, how about tonight's clubbing at Sadr's brothel, you can take your pet with you? We need show her around a little more." The Twilek's lekkus twitched angrily at his sleeping partner but he turned to find release on a noisy yellow female of his own species.

A sort of warm confidence rushed over her when she realized that the Twilek didn't dare to try and yank her out of the Wookie's arm. Tomoe decided that faking sleep was the best she could do. She didn't have to pretend for long until exhaustion took over.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 - A favor is an investment. (day 3)

The next morning, Tomoe was shaken awake by a large paw on her shoulder. As soon as she lifted her head, a horrible headache hit her like a punch. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat when a bottle of water was pressed against her lips. She coughed and tried to push away, her sore jaws torturing her in unison with a hundred other bruises. The paw patted her head, withdrew and returned with a towel to wipe up the spilled fluid.

"Get her ready for the auction." The Twilek barked from his stand in the hall's centre. The Wookie growled softly and passed her the water as soon as she could kneel on her own. He had to get to the fresher and find some breakfast. Meanwhile, his partner reviewed the merchandise, pulling her to her feet roughly. "The damn mark is still visible... I won't get a second bid on that one..." he mused, but pushed her into the line to the fresher and told the girls to clean themselves or else! Then he tied the slaves for the auction to a single chain and had the Wookie drag them out into the cold morning light. The chain was locked to a ring in the wall of a small round theatre. An audience was gathering slowly.

Tomoe sat down between the other slaves shivering when a shadow fell on her. The Wookie was swatting over her, waving a piece of raw meat in front of her face. She bent over, trying to hide her dry-heaving under a deep bow. He whooped questionably, looked at her once more, and then decided to finish the morsel himself. Still chewing, he caught a glimpse at the angry dark mark on her back and smoothed her hair over it. Then he had to follow his partner's call.

Trying to preserve some body heat in the cold morning breeze, Tomoe curled up into a tight ball until she was pulled up and pushed onto a stage. "2500." The starting bid came from yesterday's sleazy tormentor, accompanied by the whistles and calls of the brothel owners guards "Move it!" she stiffened, took a step out of the auctioneer's reach and turned around, sending her hair flying over her shoulder.

The auctioneer watched his share grow by the first "Ohh..." of the audience at the bold move, then falter as nobody else dared to enter a bid. The brothel owner's was looking for a bargain "Call it." Some exotic markings would add to his infamous ménage. "2500 going once, going ..." –

"2600" a gravelly voice squished the hopes of both.

The sleazy brothel owner shook his head as he saw who he was bidding against. He was professional enough to know when it was wiser to look for a bargain elsewhere. "2600 going once, going twice, going trice. /bang/ Sold to the armored mister in the back... Next bidding is for..."

Tomoe was moved off stage by a helper quickly, "Come and claim your prize," he motioned the mercenary over, and the assistant completed the financial transaction and ownership certificate. "Here's our leaflet... the practical stun-collar is extra, for implants..."

"Take it off," cutting any further advice short, Fett stepped in front of his acquisition. "Hands over your head," he retrieved a thin plastifoil survival blanket from a pocket and wrapped it tightly around her from chest to toes. "Hold that," he commanded and watched the assistant remove the slave-collar from her neck. "Move," he steered the newest addition to his household outside of the small arena.

Tomoe clutched the blanket to her chest tightly and tried to match his long strides with the tiny quick steps the blanket allowed. By the time they reached the spaceport, she couldn't feel her feet anymore. 'So many ships... so many destinations... but no indication of my homeplanet's colours or symbols,' she thought, her neck craning to avoid the beak of the mercenary's ship looming over her.

She didn't try to run this time, Jango noted with some satisfaction, one eye on the 360° display inside the helmet while flipping through the 'new holder's advice and manual' on another display. He wasn't exactly 'new' to the game, just to the owner's side of it. It didn't look like further violence was needed to subdue her. The return of the circulation into her pale hands and feet would be quite enough to put her down a notch.

Fett led her inside the Slave I and into the cargo area. He backed her against the cage he had prepared with a bed-roll and some supplies for her accommodation last night. "Clean up and tend to your bruises, eat, drink, then rest until I come for you." He examined her jaws and ran a gloved thump over her bluish lips "still mute?"

"I'll... thank you." She breathed trough clattering teeth and shrunk away from the shimmering helmet approaching her face.

She would carve his body heat soon enough. But so far there was no weeping, no contradictions, no useless questions... well, she had to learn one more point: "It is _master_ from now on," he reminded her.

She had no energy left in her for petty arguments. "Thank you, Master Fett." Tomoe stepped into the cage and kneeled down in front of a med-kit, popping the lid just to spot another problem while her capturer locked the cage and faced the cockpit ladder. "Master Fett, could you please ask Boba to help me read... this?" she lifted the kit slightly.

Fett frowned and climbed on wordlessly. In the cockpit, he met Boba's questioning gaze. "Got her. Let's go home." Fett ran the starting procedure, lifted the Slave I out of the dustbowl's gravity well and plotted a course to Kamino. "You can go aft once we entered hyperspace. You are allowed to question her and answer about things that are within the cage, but stay out of her reach."

Boba smiled and watched his father pulling back the hyperspace lever "Sure, dad." He un-strapped and swung down the ladder, his hands screeching on the metal before his feet touched the ground. "Hey, Tomoe."

The heap of plastifoil sheet rustled when she turned and pulled the thermal blanket closer around her. "Hey, Boba ...thanks for coming." She placed a damp cloth aside and moved to the medkit. "I have found bandages, but I have difficulties to locate a disinfectant, glucose and a strong cleaning fluid. I don't want to mistake anything."

"Let me see... the disinfectant is the second bottle on left, the glucose..." He shook his head "Why?... Can't you read?"

"Thanks," she picked the bottle and turned her side to him to continue treatment. "Yes, since I learned reading and writing in another language. It covered my basic skills so far."

"Everybody can read _aurabesh_."

"I'm looking forward to learn _aurabesh_, if you like to teach me."

"Sure." Boba squatted, rested his chin on his palm and watched curiously. A moment ago, he had been convinced that adults knew everything ... those who weren't jerks at least. He spotted a collection of bluish bruises on her shoulder and forearms "You look terrible."

"Why, thank you," she chuckled, moved the glucose tablet from one cheek into the other and pulled a bandage around her wrist tight with a free hand and teeth. "Could you spot the cleansing fluid?"

"Because..." he wrinkled his forehead and stopped, "The disinfectant should do. Dad uses bacta-spray or -patches for deeper wounds."

"What is this 'bacta'?"

"The green stuff. There are bacteria within that seek out wounds and help to regenerate tissue. It won't leave scars but,' he wrinkled his nose "it smells."

"Bacteria? ...I think I can do without." She turned her back to him and lowered the blanket, uncovering the red mark on her back. "I'm looking for a dissolvant to remove this."

Boba studied the bright red _Mythosaur_ skull that was staring back at him, drawing live with every breath she took. In his eyes, it was beautiful. "Don't you like the sigil of Mandalore?"

Tomoe bought time by rearranging the blanket around her shoulders. She should have considered removing the mark could be seen as an insult. "What is 'Mandalore'?"

Boba fell silent. He had said too much. She was asking too many questions and he was pretty sure that this one wasn't covered by the exception 'inside the cage'. "Ask dad." He snapped.

"I will." she tilted her head "If you describe it to me, I can try to imagine it and make up my mind. You know... I'm not used to wear something on my skin permanently", 'like a criminal', she thought. "Of course, everything I wear has a meaning. It's a way to cherish season, nature and tradition. Like life itself the signs change all the time."

"The _kyr'bes _is a skull of a big, ferocious animal. It has a looong tradition, as well. But it's dead, so you don't have to change it all the time. Practical, huh?" Boba beamed.

"Practical boy," she managed to smile back, "do you mind if I lay down for a while?"

He made a face."Why do adults always sleep?"

"I don't know about other 'adults' you have met, but I'm tired because yesterday was stressful and didn't sleep well last night. Therefore I heed to your father's advice to rest." She tried to answer on the point. 'Was he really suffering such a lack of respectable company?'

"I see... Aren't you hungry?" he offered, pointing his chin at a ration-bar.

"I doubt that I can chew already. Your father knows when to wake me. I hope we can continue our chat later." She bowed lightly.

"See ya, Tomoe." He climbed the ladder into the cockpit.

She slipped into the bedroll and pulled the thermal blanket over her feet for additional warmth. 'Rest,' Tomoe told herself, 'heal.' She stared at the metal ceiling, listening to the blubbering engine that filled the silence. 'There's nothing to do.' – 'There is a lot to do! Get out of here. Make him take you home.' – 'There is nothing to do right now.' – 'Protest.' – 'He won't listen.' – 'Do you like it? Put up a fight!' – 'Did that before.' – 'A honorable person would kill him or die trying' – 'He is the driver, he is not around and I'm tired.' – 'Get out if you are tired of it.' – 'Silence.'

She closed her eyes, calmed her breath and imagined ...a ripple on water... a lake within the mountains... golden autumn leaves covering the slopes... a meadow covered by billowing mist... then sleep won.

Clanking footfalls woke her. She reached for the thin thermal blanket, wrapped it around herself and rolled to her feet.

"You don't need that," the mercenary was still in his armor, minus helmet and weapons - as far as she could see. Some folded clothing items were draped over his arm, "Drop the blanket."

"I am not your property, Master Fett," she reminded him gently.

"You are my slave and you do as I tell. Drop it."

"I'm a person. My dignity is inviolable. You have neither right nor reason to imprison me."

"Your idea, your fault. My ship, my rules." He smirked. "Plus I got some papers for the outsiders..."

"You got me into this in first place," ...hijacked and blamed her and cut off her chance to defend herself.

"You got yourself into this. Consider it as a long-time appointment if you like that better. Now you drop that blanket and let me sample my treasure. Afterwards, you can get dressed in _real_ clothing." Without further hesitation, Fett punched in the opening code.

Tomoe pushed the bedroll aside with a kick of her heel, freeing space to put up a fight. "What do you want from me?"

While he had made it clear enough, she apparently didn't consider where her pathetic move could get her within an instant... or she didn't care "What do you want for yourself?" Fett's retort sound like a treat as he threw the door open.

"Home and a bath."

He nearly laughed out loud. If she wasn't desperate for a deal, she would have attacked the moment ago. But if that eased her mind, she could have a deal. "Complete satisfaction for a change of course," he offered slyly, looking for the end of the blanket, which she was jealously guarding.

Tomoe considered briefly. "I'll do my best. Come in, please... and sit." she returned to her placating self within an instant, smoothed the padding of the makeshift bed invitingly, then knelt at his feet to undo his armored boots, clasp by clasp and an efficient tug. He went to unlatch the body armor. "Thank you..." she stopped him with a wink of her palm "Please, rest." She set the boots down neatly and retrieved a towel to drape it over his feet.

"You've got 50 minutes," he informed her bluntly.

"I'll make them worth your while," she cooed and started rubbing a foot gently, exploring his soles for the right spots. He leaned back, rested his head on an elbow and enjoyed the view of her cleavage. He could take the steady rhythm of her fingertips for hours, nevertheless he would be ready when time was up. She steadied her breath and her movement, concentrating the pressure on certain spots. "Just relax," her hum blended in with the throbbing engine.

It felt like seconds later when she stopped gently, rested her palms in her lap and lifted her gaze. "Master Fett... It's time to raise and change course."

Jango propped himself up on an elbow "You call that satisfied?" his dark eyes bore into her "I haven't even started yet."

"I see you are well rested. You had no wishes left a moment ago... when you were sound asleep."

'A blackout? Impossible!' his wide gaze swung over to the opening of the cage, "From boredom..." he snarled and nestled at his cod piece. "Come here. Give me satisfaction. Try to ride home…"

"Sore and soiled is no satisfaction." Her voice was low and dry like autumn leaves when she withdrew and wiped her hands on a towel.

"I could make you."

"...and enjoy the process more than the result ...but still find no satisfaction." She briskly pushed his boots behind her, guarding them. "While I have nothing to lose, you can't risk a slip. You are the pilot."

He regarded the fluid on his soles, then her. "You are too clever for your own good ...and you stink like a wet Wookie pelt." Fett got to his feet just when the alarm went off. Fine. "My boots, slave, we arrived." At least she demurely passed him his boots. He put them on and kicked the cage-door shut behind him.

Again, she was stuck without options and clothing. The ship's surge slammed her against the bars of the cage then the sound of the engine changed. They were approaching something, the g-forces of the maneuver partly wiped by dampers, a whizzing of servos, soft bumps on metal, shut-down of engines. Just before a claustrophobic attack hit, everything shut down into a deafening silence, interrupted by the cracking of cooling structures every now and then.

A fully armed and armored Fett left through the main hatch, a draft of cool moist air entering instead.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 - Trust no one, but use everyone.

"Welcome back, advisor Fett. Was your venture a success?" The head of the white Kaminoan swayed from side to side attentively.

"Successful enough. With the individual in question recovered and revenge executed, his clan returned to full co-operation."

"Then you will be pleased to hear that we will stay on schedule with the supplies for the ARCs training program."

"Yes. I amplified the headcount of my staff. Initially, the new asset will be restricted on my quarters."

The Kaminoan nodded slowly and Jango Fett turned to his quarter. He sealed the door behind him and scanned the rooms carefully. Thanks to the sterile layout of _Kaminoan_ architecture his room could hold a human well in check once he added some mountings and modified the locks.

-...-

On board of the Slave I, Boba ambled back in the cargo bay, looking as bored as his father had claimed to be. He urged her to eat the ration bar, and then continued his questioning. "Why don't you want to become family?"

"Family?" Tomoe nearly choked on her breakfast, "Boba, you are the first who asks me this question. So far, I experienced nothing but disrespect and violence..."

"But my father protected and saved you from that. He even gave you his sigil."

"He abducted me in first place and afterwards, all I would have needed was a minute of his protection to explain." She clipped her outburst and shook her head in disbelief, "Instead he treats me like some property."

"The only thing dad talks to is this ship, the Slave I." Boba pouted, "As you can see, it's in perfect condition."

"I was not raised to become Slave II, but to honor my ancestors and my heritage. You see, your needs and life plans are so different from mine that I have difficulties to understand the mere outlines. I have seen only one side of your father and I don't know anything about your mother..."

"I have no mother." Boba retorted with a side-glance.

"I'm sorry." Tomoe stopped her rant and scolded herself inwardly for hurting the boy. Hadn't it been obvious enough to her that this 'family' was far from normal?

"No. I mean," he tilted his head curiously, "...how is it to have a mother?"

"My mother... she was always there when we needed her. She was the centre of the house, busy and calm at the same time. She was educated and shared her knowledge, but gave me leeway for my own experience as well. Nothing could go wrong. I know few things that she didn't start to teach me, so I could find my place in life... and she was beautiful... uhmm... you get the idea."

Boba considered. This didn't sound so different, but his dad had to leave him for days upon occasion. Then he was bored and lacked purpose. "You miss her," he concluded.

"Yes. She left an imprint that is hard to fill."

"How about your father?"

Tomoe's face went blank. "He was a salary man who travelled a lot."

"My dad says, I'll be his copy in a few years. Without scars, of course. And once I'm grown, I can always accompany him."

"This must be very comforting for you."

Suddenly, the Boba was shadowed by his grown up armored version. "It is." Jango shooed his son up the ladder to pack his bag and followed him. His massive armored frame made the cockpit even smaller. "You can't trust her stories," he probed.

"I don't." Boba reassured him while gathering some droid parts and ship models and shouldered his backpack "Dad?... what's my second path?"

"A single person can't be in two places." Jango shook his head at Boba's unease. For now, the irregular schedule of the past days didn't do any good. "Finish your packing." He checked the cockpit, downloaded some data and activated a sub-routine that would survey the parked vessel. He preceded his son on the ladder, retrieved his latest acquisition from the cage and walked her down the landing ramp, sealing the ship behind them.

-...-

Tomoe pulled the plastifoil blanket tightly around her. Cold grey fog hovered around the landing pad and the gnawing bulk of the spaceship that brought her here. Dew clung to the metal surfaces and dropped of navigation lights and railings. Large matte-finished grey domes piled high over the misty cushions, their few corrugations sparkling in the sunset... or was it a sunrise? The dampened sound of a surf emerged, but the ground far below was hidden in the fog.

It looked peaceful, cultivated and certainly not like a robber's den. A prod just below her shoulder blades convinced her that this was not the time to look for help. A transparent double-door opened into a deserted white corridor with black wall-panels here and there. Its large radius hid the end of it... if it had an end at all, Tomoe thought.

Boba hopped forwards and punched a panel with colorful controls and a little script. The door slid open and revealed an asymmetric room and more doors. "Living room, my room, dad's room, store..."

Jango locked the door from the inside, "Fresher." he cut the introductions. "Get in." Standing in the doorframe he removed his helmet, put the gauntlets inside and passed it to Boba, slapping his utility belt on top of the pile with a determined expression. "Lock this up in the store and unpack your luggage." He followed Tomoe into the bathroom and locked the door behind them.

"You are going to pee, shower, wash your hair, tend to your bruises and put on fresh bandages."

"I will, Master Fett." She stood silent, blanket clutched to her chest, eyes firmly to the ground. "Please... don't waste your time."

"Now." He didn't raise his voice "I'll make sure you do it right this time." Fett's eyes bore into hers until she turned around.

Tomoe moved mechanically through the bathroom to do his bidding. The thermal blanket slipped over her heels and billowed on the floor when she entered the shower and figured the controls. Hot water hosed down, merciful steam engulfed her nakedness. She splashed handfuls of water into her face, then rested her palms and forehead against the wall and let the water soak her hair.

Fett's gaze slid down her backside slowly. Areas of tanned skin peeled off the small of her back and shoulders, revealing tender red tissue underneath. The long scratch on her rips leaked blood again and a fresh set of angry claw marks decorated the heart shape of her butt. 'So much to unchanged condition...' He thought while he folded up the blanket then gathered bacta-spray and fresh dressing material from a med-kit to fix the damage others had inflicted on his property.

Dust, blood and stench tainted the water on the way to the drain. When the warmth returned into Tomoe's hands and feet, she found a shampoo-dispenser and massaged her scalp and hair. The fluid burned worse than the water once it soaked through the bandages around her wrists. She washed quickly from neck to toes and rinsed off, casting a glance over her shoulder for a towel.

"Hold your wrists out," Fett cut and unwrapped the wet dressing material gently from the caked blood and disinfectant. "Clean that area. The second button activates the dryer," he sent her back under the hose and reached for the bacta-spray. The water ceased and a warm air stream filled the cabin.

Tomoe offered her hands again obediently but balked at the green smelly aerosol, "Please don't put this filth on me."

Unaffected by her complaint, he caught her slick arm by the elbow and continued to treat her wrists. "I'll not have scars on your body. The bacta will fight inflammation and restore the skin," he redressed her wrists with fresh bandages in case he needed to restrain her again. "You will apply it to any sore spot on you," he offered her a small pot.

Indeed, the green stuff felt soothing on her skin. She dipped her fingertips into the jelly and dabbed it on her collection of bruises hesitantly.

He watched her flexible body bend and twist, the long raven black hair fluttering in the warm air stream. Once sanitized, she would be delicious. "...and inside your body," he reminded her with a lewd grin.

She caught a brief look at his hungry eyes, but gathered more bacta on her fingertips and backed away. She squatted into the corner of the cabin, her hair sinking around her like a cloak. "Where I can see it," Fett's voice intruded from somewhere behind. Tomoe gulped and used the word she couldn't avoid any longer. "NO." She straightened up and faced him.

A thin smile came on his face. The time had come to show her that she could fight anybody... but him.

Something snapped in her. "You are no better than them... _hut'uun,_" she spat.

What appeared like an attempt to walk right through him was stopped by his quick step into the shower. Before she could twist past him, armor connected with her bare chest, sending her stumbling backwards. "I have killed for less" he snarled and seized her throat in a bout of Mandalorian short fuse which was instantly met by a strong female knee-jerk reflex.

Tomoe winced as pain shot up her knee where it had connected with the unyielding cod-piece, momentarily paralyzing her thigh. She clung onto his wrist for balance and tried to pry his hand away from her throat. Her short nails dug into his palm. Once she recovered a stance, she switched to clawing his face.

Jango slapped her hands away, spun around and slammed the wildcat on the end of his arm against the opposite wall, thus interrupting an attack on his nearly outstretched elbow and used the remaining momentum to push her face down over a cabinet.

When the black freckles cleared from her vision, Tomoe found herself pinned between a rock and a hard place, immobilized by his superior weight. Cold armor plates pressed over her back and against her thighs, her strength wearing down quickly for mere breathing.

Without haste, he captured and twisted her flailing arms over the angry red sigil between her shoulder blades, then clamped her wrists together with a single hand. Once he had secured his captive, he lifted his weight a little to scoop a streak of bacta on his fingertip that had ended up on a shoulder bell.

Her twisting weakened to a trembling, "What are you doing?" she gasped for breath, the pristine white surroundings fading into black again.

"Just rising to your expectations." He pressed an armoured knee in the soft hollow under her butt, between her inner thighs, forcing her legs apart.

"No..."

-...-

When he withdrew from her aching body to get tissues and clean them up, Tomoe lay still and struggled to regain consciousness. Couldn't she see that she was at his mercy, yet he wouldn't do anything unnatural to her, no matter how hard she tried to provoke him? He rearranged his codpiece and gently wiped her thighs clean. "Any other sore spots?" he asked calmly.

She tried to straighten up "No," her legs were jelly. She sagged to the ground, "...master..." she had to gulp the next word down together with the bile rising in her throat. Her head was spinning when she pushed herself up on hands and knees and retched on the spotless white floor. A strong arm wrapped around her waist and held her up while she fed her breakfast to the toilet. When the dry-heaving subsided, she was relocated over the sink. Cold water splashed into her face.

Once she lifted her head Jango pushed a glass of mouthwash into one hand and some tissues in the other. "Clean up." He stood back and watched her mop the floor impartially. "What did you tell him?" he inquired.

"I just answered his questions." Tomoe denied eye-contact and stared at the floor. She felt strangely hollow. Was this how the end felt? She had enough of it. Just a little further and it might be over. "Very basic answers you seem to have kept from him." She collected the scattered wipes, dropped them into garbage and turned to wash her hands with a detached stare at her fingernails. "What did you do to your 'mistress', master Fett?"

Jango observed her pulling herself together and briefly considered to humble her some more and make her apologize for the insult. "He's a clone ... not a mother-born child who 'everybody protects'..." He mocked her and decided that he could beat the _osik_ out of her any time later if required. For now, Boba was waiting.

"A _clone_," she acknowledged without true recognition. "So..." She paused "...does it make a difference?"

"Not to me and not to you, either." He threw a bundle of clothing at her. "Deal with it.

She put on the unmarked fatigues mechanically. It dawned to her. Did he think she volunteered for something? "What do you want?"

"You will learn your place. Aside from the point that was just under discussion, you will be there for him, keep him well feed and doing his homework while I'm at work. Now concentrate at the task at hand." He rested a hand on the small of her back shoved her through the door in an amicable gesture.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 - Imagination is a warrior's most important weapon.

In the living room, Boba dropped a notepad on the table and smiled at her. "Feeling better?" he piped up "I'll show you how we brew tea here."

Tomoe gulped and straightened her back, shrugging Fett's hand off in process. She couldn't break down now. Not in front of the boy. "Yes, show me, please." She smiled and followed Boba to a dispenser of sorts installed in the living room wall. 'Don't think of it.' No, she would not take it out on the small one who made her feel like a human being again.

Keeping an eye on the doorway, Jango went into the kitchen to gather ration cubes and cut three slices of an uj-cake for a late breakfast. Storing the knife in a 4-year-old-Boba-proof drawer, he made a mental note to re-organize the utensils later so the new housekeeper could do her job without posing a treat. 'Back to minus 1,' he sighed inwardly and returned to the living room.

Boba grabbed a steaming mug, lead Tomoe to the corner seat and pushed the notepad aside. Tomoe shuffled past him, carefully evading her pant's slipping hems and arranged the other two cups. She sat on the unfamiliar furniture with straight back. Boba scrambled on the bench beside her, pulled his socked feet up and took a sip. "Hmmm... _shig_"

Tomoe took a sip as well. The tisane was a citrus flavored onslaught to her nerves but it would probably calm her stomach and cover-up the bad taste left in her mouth. "Good." She nodded in agreement "What were you looking at?"

"My homework. I missed a lesson or two during the trip."

"Two." Jango's gravelly voice commented from the kitchen.

Tomoe decided to ignore it. "What are they about?"

Boba slipped the notepad between them "'Hundred most rampant intelligent species and their vital parts' and 'maths: operational tasks'... Oh, uj-cake." He commented his father's return.

"Sounds interesting." It covered her question if the dried and cut brown block accompanied by three cubes was edible at all. The small one seemed to be as much ahead of other kid's schedule as the food was behind civilised standards.

Jango opened a cube and started shoveling down the content.

"May I have a look at it later?" She mirrored his actions carefully. The cube's contents tasted neutral, the cake was very sweet with a mixture of aromas.

"Sure." Boba dug in as well.

"How did you learn to read?"

"There's a game... in here." He moved through the desktops with his left, holding a slice of cake in his right hand. "You have to connect sounds and signs, words and pictures... and the other way round."

She watched him flipping icons, menus and keys faster than she could follow and realized that she had no idea what he was doing, even less to help him. She took another sip and watched intently, her hands folded around the mug for warmth. She turned her head at a shuffle of armor plates and a heavy weight pressing down the upholstery beside her.

"Put the cup down." Jango voice was level yet carried a warning. He reached over, caught her elbow and pulled her tightly against him. Then he produced a binder and cuffed her right wrist to an eyebolt that was embedded near the corner. "Carry on. I'll be back in a few." He patted her free shoulder, withdrew and locked down the kitchen behind him for good measure.

Boba's eyes followed his father gathering his gauntlets and utility belt from the storage. Then he put on the helmet and was gone. Tomoe caught her slipping pants with her free hands and scrambled into the bench's corner to minimize the strain in her shoulder. "A few minutes or a few hours?"

Boba made a face "Usually? - Hours."

Tomoe sighed half strained, half relieved then lifted her bare feet and sat on her heels for warmth. "How about this game?"

Boba placed the notepad on the desk between them "It's a little boring."

"Then I better learn it quickly." Tomoe dipped her fingertip into the _shig_ to make side notes on the polished black surface of the table.

-...-

Jango marched into the ammunition chamber to recharge darts, see to the repair of his _buy'ce_ and re-assume command over his ARC-units which he had deferred to two _Cuy'val Dar_ for the time being. One of them, Kal Skirata, was already refitting one of his tools of trade on a workbench. So he used the helmet's comlink to call-in the other, Walon Vau. Fett then stood at workbench opposite to Skirata and disassembled the dart thrower of his gauntlet.

The shorter, older _Mando'ad_ greeted Jango with a quick lift of his chin, and then returned his attention to the rifle he was working on. "Three bolts for one target? You slacken." Skirata commented over his work.

Jango put the helmet on the bench beside him "Make that two targets. Three hits but the second bolt didn't penetrate." He retorted while cleaning and recharging the dart thrower

"A patron ...and his Wampa?" Kal eyed the scratch on the helmet suspiciously.

"Not exactly a Wampa... just an old fashioned knife" Jango retrieved the sheathed knife from under his utility belt and passed it to Kal.

"I like old fashioned, you know... but take care. That could have worked." He unsheathed the blade from its lacquered housing and eyed the slight nick where it had connected with _bes'kar_ instead of human flesh, bone and brain. "_Copikla_... good steel, but a playthings grip."

"Suitable for small hands." Jango shrugged his shoulders, snapped the dart thrower back to his gauntlet and continued to mend the scratch in the blue and silver cheek of the helmet.

Kal put the knife back in its sheath "You could restore the blade for Boba... but use a man-stopping charge next time instead of a stun dart."

"It was alive without disintegration. Some well-paid easy practise."

Kal raked his short grey hair "At least the engineering progress of our kit isn't decelerated any longer."

"That's good news." A tall man in black _beskar'gam _strode in, preceded by a six-legged predator, surrounded by its pungent scent and followed by a boy who didn't look a day older than ten and was dwarfed by the deece slung over his back. The _Mando'ad _lifted his helmet to reveal a long, square-jawed face that was all bone and frown lines, his greying dark hair cut brutally short. "Took my half of your alpha-batch to the training ground for live-round practise with the commandos. A-30 will report to you."

Jango watched the boy soldier A-30 / Sull avoid the Strill most carefully to put up a snappy salute.

Kal had turned and leaned against the workbench in fake-relaxion, his arm straightened by his side and the point of his knife resting on his fingertip no doubt. "And how many of them are left?" He bristled at the sight and smell of 'Lord Mirdalan' and its keeper.

"All of them Sir." The boy soldier announced, "None in bacta, three in the ward, five ambulatory treated."

"Thanks. I'll see you in your quarters after flash-instruction. Dismissed." Jango arched a brow at Vau.

"We set off a little chemical alarum last night. Told them to keep their helmet in reach all times, but it seems that filter-quality is partially inadequate. Bad kit – as usual. The rest are sprained ankles and so on."

"There are better ways to test kit." Kal had just started when Jango cut it. "What did you do with your half?"

"Hand-to-hand and knife instruction. They chill down over their lessons until lunch. I've planned technical instructions afterwards and booked the shooting range for the afternoon. But you can call them off whenever you're settled in, no problem."

Vau shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever. You are so in love with your knife and traditions that your boys won't survive the first phase of a modern battle let alone a war." He strode out, the stinking Mird on his heels.

"Thank you." Jango started honing the knife with even strokes that were music in Skirata's ears. "They are nothing like I was at that age. So single minded and obedient, even towards the _kaminoan_ caretakers... Boba disassembles one caretaker droid per week lately. How are the Nulls doing?"

"Oh, they are old enough to run free and support each other. The most difficult thing is to keep it interesting for them. They train, learn, instruct and supervise. I guess the growth acceleration has its point," he chuckled darkly. "They are giving the _aiwha_-baits some pay-back already," Skirata grinned openly.

Jango nodded. He had noticed Kal's hyper-intelligent little stalkers upon occasion. No wonder Boba felt left behind with the age-distance growing by the day. "I've picked up some organic replacement for the tinny-caretakers."

"Another _Cuy'val Dar_?"

"No. An _aruetyc_ housekeeper. Human female. Boba has taken a liking in her already."

Kal wrinkled his forehead "Does she understand what's awaiting her? That she will be stuck here for years?"

"She's got no say in that. I purchased her and I can dispose of her."

"You have bought a _slave_? Don't you know the laws of the republic you are working for? YOU of all people!"

Jango's face stayed blank at the outburst. "I do understand. Have a look at the exemplary republic justice surrounding us, if you don't."

"I hear Vau talking. What happened to your '_aruetiise_ don't understand a mercenary's life'? ... How old?"

"In her twenties." he changed the grindstone to a finer grain. "Still adaptable."

"Any other bad news for discipline?"

Jango's eyes narrowed. "That's my problem."

"Exactly!" Kal slung the rifle over his back and left.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 - Life feeds on death

Jango finished mending his equipment and went to see his ARCs in the ward, distributed some supplies from the Slave 1 to different quarters, and then went to check his own home and pick up Boba for the instructions and shooting range. He found him sitting on a blanket they had draped over Tomoe's legs, the notepad balanced between them on the corner of the table.

Tomoe deciphered slowly, "Three Twileks prepare a great celebration. They also brew _caf_. For that, they got 3 machines: a small one, which brews 12 cups per run, a medium sized for 16 cups and a large for 20 cups. How many cups of _caf_ can the Twileks prepare in 5 runs?"

"More than anybody is going to drink anyway." Boba retorted. "Dad, can we do something else now? I already figured the shopping list and change, the candy boxes and the installment sale. Plus we went over half of the species. Now you know what a Twilek is, don't you, Tomoe?"

Tomoe felt her hackles rise. "I do."

"Good. Solve the last one, then we can go." Jango vanished in the bathroom.

Boba pouted "But that's difficult."

"Oh, c'mon, where's the problem? 12, 16 and 20 cups, 5 runs." She tried to motivate him.

"You can't prepare _caf_ in advance like that. It's going to taste like _poodoo_. It's unlikely that all machines take the same time per run. Then there are different cup sizes, refill, spill, guests coming early or late..."

"Ahh... I think now you are looking for complexities. Just pull out the numbers and calculate how many cups the storage container needs to hold. "

"28 plus 20 makes 48 cups, multiplied with 5... 240 cups. You type." Boba grinned as Tomoe typed hunt-and-peck-style. "Yay, completed." He pushed the notepad on the table and climbed off the bench to find his boots. She sunk back slowly to keep the bump on the back of her head safe, stared at her cuffed hand and willed her numb fingers to move at least a little.

Jango placed one finger under her chin and gently turned her face so that her eyes met his. The corners of his mouth curved slowly into a satisfied smile. "Well done," he unlocked her wrist from the loop in the wall, hooked the cuffs to his utility belt and placed a food container on the table, "Rest now. Eat more when you wake. You need to put some meat on those bones."

-...-

Tomoe rubbed her wrist, felt the painful itch of the circulation returning and watched Fett leave with Boba on his heels. She swung her bare feet off the bench and stared at the droplets that spread over the polished black surface of the table. It felt cool on her palm when she smoothed over it. At least some feeling had returned into her right hand. Her writing formed a rectangle with open bottom: _"Recover strength - Find a place ...for Boba_" She marked the two top quadrants inside _"Create a Weapon"_ and closed the rectangle with the base line: _"Kill Jango Fett"_

Tomoe slipped out of the corner seat, went into the bathroom and washed her hands. She regarded the strange person that was staring back at her from the mirror while she cleaned out remnants of Jango's skin from under her short round nails. With her decision made, there was no point in neglecting herself. She stripped, put her folded clothing on the cabinet, braided-up her hair and entered the shower. In some places, streaks bacta peeled off easily, revealing pale, unblemished skin. She left the other marks alone and concentrated on washing herself inside and outside. She quit rubbing herself raw when the soap seeped through the bandages and bit into her wrists. 'Hard to accomplish real purification with weakened hands.' She squished as much of the soapy fluid from the bandages as possible, dressed and went back into the main room.

After embedding the character on the black table into her mind another time, she wiped the surface clean and shiny. From there she went into a close examination of every unlocked room and corner, testing the unknown territory and materials, monitoring the flow of air and warmth. The shades were relatively sharp edged, but too floppy. She didn't trust the filament, either. After all, any damage would become visible immediately. Like the notepad, she postponed taking it apart. It was raining outside. Thick water drops splattered on the structures outside, marking the outlines white against the grey sky.

The translucent material and the frame of the window were both solid, constructed to keep out much harder weather. The main door was supported by the wall on three sides, but it's composition from two materials was probably a weak spot. Standing in the centre of the apartment, she picked up the food container and washed down about half the contents with warm water. The problem wasn't the door but what came through it. Once she settled that matter, she could cut her access authorization from the corpse.

Exhausted, she gathered the blanket from the bench and curled up in the easy chair to sleep as far away from any eye-bolts as possible.

-...-

After a successful afternoon in the shooting range and the dinner in the mess hall, Jango kept Boba behind him when he entered silently and checked the room for manipulations. He spotted a bare foot and the corner of a coverlet hanging over the arm-rest of the high-backed easy chair. "Shh... She's doing better." He motioned his son to get ready for bed and staked his armor and blasters in the store.

Once Boba was tucked in, his father continued his series of bedtime stories of the Mandalorian Wars by featuring the Conquest of Cathar by Mandalore the Ultimate and Cassus Fett as a punishment for their participation in the Great Sith War against the Mandalorian people. By the time the _Cathar_ race packed the last able-bodied survivors into what few ships remained and sending them off into the void, Boba was fast asleep.

-...-

Jango smiled, stuffed the blanket around his boy and went to the bathroom for his own nightly hygiene. Freshly shaved, a towel wrapped tightly around his hips, he re-emerged and relocated Tomoe into the master bedroom. She didn't wake when he lowered her in the middle of his cot carefully and spooned up to her. His hand slipped under the loose fitting tunic to explore the warm, tender skin of her stomach, sliding up from her navel to her rips then gently cupped a breast. He pulled her closer and nuzzled the joint of her neck and shoulder, seeking the comfort of her alluring perfume of grass, pine and wooden incense that enfolded her feminine scent. A pity... it seemed to have dissolved in the clinical atmosphere of _Kamino_ - but recovering some of her very own aroma would be most enjoyable. From the tremor that ran over her skin, he knew he was in for a tussle and smiled in anticipation.

Tomoe shrunk into a ball even before her eyes flew open, tried in vain to jerk the invasive hand away through the fabric of the shirt and elbow her way out of the hold around her chest. She could have tried to push down the opposite wall as well. Coming around from a suffocating nightmare into the middle of a fight she twisted on her back to gain clearance for her free fist and knees.

'Amateur.' Jango used the brief straightening to push a knee through her defenses and sat astride the lithe body. He settled his crushing weight on her hip and pressed his palm on her sternum. "_Udesii_" he intoned in a low, velvety growl and ran his hand up the centre line between her breasts, feeling her rapid heartbeat fluttering under his palm like a little bird. He made no move to hide his eager body from her, but luxuriated in the shift of her hips under his crotch as he worked to pin her. Her muscles tightened into a hard plane which resisted his weight pressing into her. 'Amazing,' he wiggled, back and forth on the perspiring skin, testing her strength.

She could smell the scent of him on her, his maleness, the faint scent of his after-shave, feel the sweaty heat of him on her. Without true recognition, her gaze flew over the muscle-bound physique of the human male that drove her into the mattress. She avoided his grasp for her right arm by instinct, lengthened the momentum and arched with all her might, punching the knuckles of her left into a spot over the elbow that was pressing on her chest.

He felt her lift his superior weight, balanced the shove that threatened to unseat him then slid up to grind his weight into her stomach harshly. A huff of air was driven from her lungs and a knee slapped against his back weakly, then the power surged back into her core and pushed him back out. He finally caught that evasive arm of hers and wondered where she took her breath from. It felt like riding a Basilisk. Ignoring the pain in his elbow, he extended his large hand over the softness of her breast, then squeezed hard and twisted the nipple in vicious revenge.

She cringed in pain, his crushing weight sinking into her stomach. His thighs constricted around her ribs, forcing the last of her physical reserves from her, but not before she remembered where she was. 'What am I doing, showing off abilities in a fight without the chance for real progress?' - "_Udesii, _relax" he said again, the soft rumbling in his chest ending in a hiss. He reached over to put restrains on his catch and abort further attempts to overthrow him that could force him to deal out real damage.

"Please... don't " she begged and placed her palm lightly on the fist that forced her right arm up over her head. "... hurt my wrists – here, Master Fett?" she offered, placing her free hand on the one he had captured. 'Abandon your limits...' she thought, 'he cannot do a lot more than he has already done... out of armor is the target-state anyway.'

Fett arched a brow at her placating move but pulled her arms taut above her head, feeling her breast strain against his palm "There. I make it easy for you", '...and for me', he added inwardly. He let go and ran a hand down her arm, massaging her muscles briefly beneath him. "Feel me."

-...-

He held onto her while he reached for the blanket, covering them both as he dislodged himself and tucked her boneless form against his solid chest. He realized that she was sobbing silently, so he brushed her tousled hair from her cheek entangling his fingers. "I will take good care of you," he promised, feeling incredibly relaxed and sated, his mind drifting '...not again!' Slightly alarmed by his lack of caution, he reached over to the nightstand to fetch the binders.

His breath felt hot on the nape of her neck as he took a hold on her arm "How do I deserve this?" she asked.

"It's just to keep you out of mischief," he nimbly secured the manacles around her wrists and laid back down.

"I need to visit the bathroom," she complained meekly.

"Inquire again in half an hour." He settled an arm around her slumping shoulders, filled his hand with warm, supple female flesh and fell asleep nearly instantly.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 - Vary your routine. Patterns are traps. (day 4)

Tomoe waited for her limp muscles to return to her command. She sweated under the thin blanket, but at the same time, her feet were cold. Starting with the slightest moves, she tried to work the kinks out of her back and slowly ease out of the hold around her chest. She certainly wasn't made for sleeping in a chair and she couldn't sleep like that, either. Inspecting her wrists, she found that the manacles where probably lose enough. Stretch, relax, clench. Relax, clench harder. The binder slipped up on her hand slowly. Suddenly a possessive arm tucked her up against a furnace of solid muscle in an untold 'Save it.'

She stopped her efforts and gauged the time go by with her breath and the rising pressure inside.

Finally, her patience was up. "Please, I need to get up." The breath on her neck halted briefly, and then returned to its steady pace. Obviously, Fett's sleeping mind had a sense for violence and escape tries, but not for clemency. 'You plead for it.' She sneaked her ice-cold feet up his crotch.

"_Haar'chak_!" Jango woke with a start, blocking the intruding icicles with his thigh.

"I need to pee. Do you want me to do it... in your bed?"

With an irritated grunt he reluctantly levered himself up and off his little captive, releasing the binders. She snatched her tunic and padded quietly to the bathroom, her tousled raven hair swinging around her. He reclined on the cot as he waited for her return but apparently she was in no hurry. 'Trying to use up all water on _Kamino_?' He pondered, kicked the blanket off and followed her out of the room.

Finding her in the shower he stepped in behind her and gently enfolded her in his arms in a loose hold against his chest. "I appreciate your sense for personal hygiene, but you are shiny enough for me now." She neither withdrew from his touch nor returned it. Anyway, that ridiculous modesty of hers was no longer an issue. "Everything will be alright." He gently rubbed her shoulders; watching scraps of tanned skin come off and vanish in the drain, leaving her pale under his hands. "Pity. The bronze looked so much better on you, _cin'ciri_. But you won't get enough sun here to put on another one."

"I don't know the word. What does it mean?"

Jango reached over to switch from shower- to drying-mode. "Turn around," he parted the curtain of soaked raven hair and cupped her face in his hands. "_Cin'ciri_ is _Mando'a_ for snow." He kissed her forehead.

"My name is Tomoe." Her voice stayed as level as his.

"You may call me Jango, since I own your body now and soon your soul, _Cin'ciri_." His dark eyes pierced her as though searching the deepest recesses of her heart and mind. "Just fight it, so I know there is something to conquer."

She stared back, her eyes equally deep pools of black "You conquered quite enough for tonight, Master Fett. All I want to do now is rest and I can't sleep bundled up with your binders."

"No more binders tonight." Jango chuckled and kissed her forehead a second time, then grabbed her waist and lifted her up with a graceful economy of movement. Returning to his sleeping quarter, he pushed her into the cot, settled the blanket over them and tucked her under him. "Sleep well." His mind slid back into the selective attention of a napping predator.

-...-

At the usual time, Jango stood up and stretched lazily to his full height like a great hunting cat arousing from a long sleep. The woman on his bed turned her back on him and tried to straighten out her slim frame. It didn't matter to him. His schedule would allow her some spare time until he started integrating her into the training. He occupied the bathroom, then woke Boba and put on fatigues.

The ruckus caused Tomoe to get up and slip on the tunic. It felt strange to be the last one to rise, to be utterly useless with no idea what the other's routine was. 'Concentrate on the task.' A handful of cold water in her face would help to clear her befuddled mind. She nearly stumbled over Boba who put on his shoes in the corridor. 'no boots today?' she wondered. A buzz came from the entrance; the boy strode over and opened after a brief check of the panel.

"Good morning, Walon."

Tomoe lifted her gaze slowly to the long, square-jawed face of the new arrival while her mind assimilated the important information. She had never considered herself small, but leaning her head back she had to wonder if this was as tall as those '_Mandalorians'_ could get, whatever they feed on. If they fed this particular one at all, considering his ascetic face. His piercing greenish-golden eyes locked on hers. She found no kindness in them to go with his monk's haircut. Unsure what to expect next, she followed Boba and stood behind him silently.

Vau had noted the distance between Jango and Kal at dinner the evening before and decided to do his own recce. He spotted the reason for the conflict right in the corridor. The woman's light frame screamed '_aruetise'_. One of Fett's tunics covered her loosely from shoulders to mid-thigh. Some bluish bruises showed on her collarbone and neck. Her long slender legs ended in bare feet which turned slightly inwards, toes curled into the carpet. His examination was disturbed by the intensity of her gaze. What sort of interest had widened her eyes for an instant? Her tousled hair looked like she had been thoroughly used in bed. Nevertheless, she was assessing him as an equal - at best.

"And you are?"

"Tomoe Harada, Sir."

"Come HERE," Jango Fett said behind her, his voice low and intimidating. She quickly averted her eyes and turned around. He held out his hand and closed his fingers into a fist in potent demand, then turned his fist slowly until it faced downward, then he extended his index finger and pointed downward in front of him. His face was pursed in anger, the scars in his forehead becoming more prominent. Sensing the brutality that lurked just below the surface of his carefully controlled demeanor, she dropped to her knees by his feet.

"Breakfast in one hour." While the guest watched the scene with interest, Jango turned abruptly from her, locking up the additional rooms as he went to join Vau. He shooed Boba out of the door in front of him. "Bad idea. Now I have to restrain her whenever you are alone with her."

"I'm sorry, dad," was Boba's meek response.

The boy dropped back when Vau set a quicker pace. "You certainly know how to give the gossip of Tipoca city a new spin with your... home decoration."

"I assumed your pet's perfume would put a dampener on your social life including the gossip - How's 'Lord Mirdalan'?"

"Still the epitome of an ally: fiercely loyal and attentive."

"Maybe four or five years of solid sex with an equal fierce mind tucked inside a perfect, young feminine body is my idea of paradise?" Jango retorted with one ironic eyebrow lifted.

"You have got millions of offspring and counting. Aren't you ever satisfied?"

"Sure I am. With your help, they will do their job well. Thinking of my own family, I'm not likely to spend as much time in a save place again before I'm too old to see my kids grow up."

The older Mandalorian laughed "Talking of retirement already?"

"I'm just a simple man trying to make my way in the universe."

Their arrival at the training area closed the topic as everybody went to perform their morning physical training.

-...-

Tomoe got up slowly and went for the bathroom. Had it been anger because she found a door-opener? Could it be jealousy mixed with a certain personal aversion? She splashed cold water into her face. Both could prove helpful, but neither his advantage of range nor superior weight nor regal demeanor would make her hand over Boba to somebody who was probably at odds with the late father and probably himself, too.

Coming out from the bathroom, she found her remaining clothing locked up in Jango's room "Hero," she sneezed and went on to her morning gymnastic before she grew all cold. It wasn't an easy task to convince her muscles to fall into routine. She felt like a speeder had been parked on her all night and the hard floor didn't do any good during the gymnastic, either. She would have to be more mindful next time.

Shrugging off the tunic she hit the shower a fourth time in 24 hours. Not that it made her feel much cleaner, but at least the bacta of the deepest gashes came off easily, so she decided to get a rid of the bandages covering her wrists as well. 'Seeing the mistreatment of his _property_ might give him some ideas.' While the skin had been regenerated well under the smelly bacta, the deep bruising was changing from purple to yellow rimmed green. 'Beautiful.' She scowled, and then sneezed again, turning on the warm air stream.

Returning to the living room freshly groomed, she jumped at a sudden hiss accompanied by a cold draft just above her head. A piece of the ceiling was coming down, revealing a jawing mouth fill of cleaning brushes attached to a hose, that started working methodically on the walls and floor. Apparently, house-cleaning would not become one of her chores. Was this thing a purely pre-programmed robot? Or had it sensory that could turn into an obstacle? She placed her toes in the way of the device, ready to back away the last moment, but they were carefully avoided. Interesting. So was the hatch in the ceiling and the space behind it, which she could easily access by climbing up the tube while the brush was on the ground. A grown up Fett would never fit up there, but she was different.

For now, there was no reason to alert anybody about her plans, just to stand in the rain of a foreign planet without shoes, let alone a transport. She watched the device withdraw and the next moment her fine ears picked up the sound on the other side of the wall. The system probably covered more than one flat indeed.

But what sort of person would want a Fett for neighbor?

-...-

She quietly searched the kitchen for cups and dishes to put on the breakfast table, finding the groceries in her reach quite unsatisfactory. Not that she had to rake her brain over it for long. The Fetts strode in, steaming from an hour of physical training and unspent testosterone. After seating himself at the table and indicating a place for Boba to sit, Jango waited for her to fill his cup then continued "I have a few things I need to discuss with you, so we might as well do it over breakfast."

"Yes, Master Fett." She took a seat as well.

"I want you to continue reading and practice a little writing as well. You will look over the next three lessons on Boba's curriculum. In the afternoon you'll run a quick repetition of the past lesson before you work on a new one with him. When you have time left, start working on the files about edible and inedible local flora and fauna as well as a collection of recipes to adapt to it. And you are telling tonight's bedtime story for a change, so you better think something up until then."

Tomoe nodded her acknowledge "Something to write notes on would be helpful."

"I'll get you a notepad and some flimsy, _Cin'ciri_."

"...and a Mandalorian language dictionary since you keep calling me names." She added.

"Agreed." He frowned to cover his delight at her pairing of spunk and curiosity. Something he could never beat into her. "Show me your wrists," he took her hands gently in his, "You have nobody to turn to but ME. I don't think I need restraints to remind you that the consequences would be most unpleasant if you disobey my orders."

"Yes, Jango." Tomoe softly said. She knew she was getting to him. Getting to him good. Just a matter of time before the man made a mistake and their positions were reversed. Or so she hoped. "I would like to notify you that I attracted a cold. Please have an eye on Boba if it affects him as well."

"Always have... good endurance performance this morning, Boba." He smiled at his son before returning his attention to her "I'll leave my room open so you can take care of yourself."

"I could use a pair of socks." She winked

"Makes sense." He shrugged in remembrance of her icicle-attack last night. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you."

Jango rose, his younger copy always on his heels. "We will be back for lunch, then Boba does his homework and I need to do some more work outside."

Tomoe made use of the supplies he left her with, trying to learn more about the surroundings outside that presented itself more like a washhouse than a real world with earth, plant growth and animals. It didn't look like the environment could provide food and employment for a large population, nevertheless this sizeable high-tech city which sat in the middle of nowhere. The more she read the more she wondered what its inhabitants were doing for a living. 'Military advisor? Maybe, but what needed military defense in this forsaken place?"

-...-

At noon, Boba shuffled in behind his father, but leaned against the wall, while Jango gathered ration bars from the kitchen and sat down unperturbed, munching down his lunch quickly while Tomoe's eyes wandered from one to the other. The young one shook his head at her, his teeth clenched.

"Give him time to recover, he can eat later while doing his homework." Jango commented, then pushed her into the corner seat with casual ease and closed a restraint around her left wrist, using the long sleeve of the oversized tunic for padding. "See you in the evening." He used the vicinity to kiss her forehead, then went away to work the rest of his break on another type of restraint. He needed to increase her use as a housekeeper when he wasn't around.

Tomoe waited for the door to slide shut behind Jango's wide frame then patted the upholstery beside her "Come, sit with me."

"My ribs hurt." Boba inched closer, but leaned to the wall.

"What happened?"

"Some other boy dropped his full weight on me during hand-to-hand training."

"I see... it's difficult to exhale and tense up at the same time."

"I'm not that bad at it, but it wasn't enough. It's never enough."

"But you are training hard and you are growing as well, isn't it?"

"They are growing heavier by the day... damn them, it's not fair!"

"Life isn't always fair, but you sure have your advantages?"

Boba nodded "I guess... I don't know."

"You are fit, far stronger than the average of your age, you pick things up very well, you are curious and your school benefits are far beyond your age..."

"But they are the same like me, just bigger and quicker. And they make no mistakes ...not in front of dad at least."

"What kind of mistake did you make?"

"It's my fault that my ribs hurt, it's my fault that you have to sit there, tied, hurting again..."

"Boba, stop!" she took a breath "Come here, lean against me, breathe easy... it's just a mishap, one or two days and you will be fine. It's not your fault if neither your bigger partner nor your trainer takes care of the weight difference. All you can do is train hard and maybe adapt your gymnastic to the necessities." She tried to reassure him "I'll to help you. Used to have the same trouble."

"But for now you can't and face it that is my fault."

"Why? It's your father who fancies restraints."

"But it was me who ran away in first place, and this morning I opened the damn door to Vau."

"You are just a curious kid following your morning routine. Quite efficiently, I must notice. I can see no flaw in that. Who is this Walon Vau?"

"One of dad's colleagues. They aren't best friends, but once they start talking, they are gone for hours. And he has that beast... Lord Mirdalan... it's a strill. Don't approach. It's vicious, drools and stinks horribly - but Walon loves it. "

"Oh... I won't. Is it in your species catalogue?"

"No. Strills are very rare." He sighed and grabbed his notepad "I better get started, isn't it?"

"Sure, go ahead. Would you pass me the flimsy, please?"

-...-

In the evening Jango entered in his usual predatory silence, greeted Boba and unlocked the restraint around Tomoe's wrist, conducting her into the kitchen. "Most of the food that is not customized rations comes tinned, dried or refrigerated unless somebody got lucky with a fishing line. That's _gihaal_. It's made from dried fish, lasts for years."

Tomoe sniffed and wrinkled her nose "I understand. The documentation mentioned seaweed?"

"Easy to get, but nobody is quite fond of it. We prefer protein based nutrition."

"Water, fish-fond, dried mushrooms, seaweed... do you have eggs?"

"No."

"Any legumes that don't require a day of soaking?"

"No."

"Under this condition I recommend customized rations for dinner which have just the right amount of proteins and don't taste worse than any combination of supplies... unless you give Boba some recreation with his fishing line. He's got the talent to pull up any fish that comes in the vicinity of this dome that will make me see light in this kitchen. Until then, its fruit candy for dessert."

She dug out a box on the upper self and felt him stand closely behind her, wrapping his arms around her when her soles touched the ground again "Not exclusively," he nuzzled into the nape of her neck briefly, then went to swap flimsy and notepads with place settings. Running his gauntlet over a sheet, he tried to feed some of the script into his universal translation program, but it spat out nothing but crap. "Why don't you learn and make your notes in _aurabesh_?" he inquired.

"I wrote some _aurabesh_ while handling the pad, just while sorting my thoughts for a difficult translation I used my own. I didn't bring my collection of fairytales when you 'invited' me here, so I tried to make up something from memory."

"I'll be pleased to hear it tonight." Inwardly, he wasn't half as happy. People who wrote things down spilled information. Yes, she was obedient and he had the means to keep her that way, but what he wanted was the forthcoming attention Boba was receiving from the beginning and not the distant or amused appeasement that lead to a dead end.

-...-

"Boba, light's out in half'n hour." Jango reminded Boba.

The boy looked up from sorting fishing lines and flies and yawned "_Gar serim_." He stood and vanished in the bathroom.

Jango tucked his son in when he re-emerged and sat on the edge of the bed "Sit by my feet, _Cin'ciri_." It felt strange to let somebody else close the day. But he couldn't be around all the evenings so he needed to delegate some more tasks from time to time. Tomoe sat on her heels beside him with the natural grace of somebody who wasn't used chairs. He rested a hand on her shoulder, closed the distance between their bodies and listened to her voice. "Tell us a story."

"_This is how the origins of my people where explained a thousand and four hundred years ago: _

_In the beginning, the first gods beyond the void summoned two divine beings, the male 'He-who-invites' and the female 'She-who-invites', and charged them with the creation of a new land. To help them do this, they were given a spear inlaid with jewels, the spear of light. The two deities travelled long way until they stood on the floating bridge of heaven. From there, they churned the field of sparkling crystal below with the spear. When drops of water fell from the spear, a first island formed itself under the raising sky. They descended from the bridge of heaven and made their home on the island."_

- "I don't understand"

"You may ask questions."

- "Uhmmm..." Boba didn't know where to start "How long did that take?"

"_Time had little meaning back then. Remember we are not talking about humans like you and I..._

_Eventually they wished to be mated, so they built a pillar that reached the heaven and around it they built a pavilion. They circled the pillar in opposite directions, and when they met on the other side, 'She-who-invites' spoke to the gods beyond the void first in greeting. 'He-who-invites' didn't think that this was the right thing to do, but they proceeded anyhow. They conceived two offspring but they were born deformed and are not considered deities." _

"_So they went around the pillar again, this time speaking to each other when they met, and their marriage was then successful. From their union were born the "great eight continents" of my home world, six more islands and many deities. Then 'She-who invites' died giving birth to the child "Causer of fire". She was then buried on a snow covered mountain. So angry was 'He-who-invites' at the death of his wife that he killed the new-born child, thereby creating dozens of deities." _

" '_He-who-invites' lamented the death of her and undertook a journey to the shadowy land of the dead. Quickly, he searched for 'She-who-invites' and eventually found her. At first, he could not see her at all for the shadows hid her appearance well. Nevertheless, he asked her to return with him. But she spat out at him, informing him that he was too late. She had already eaten the food of the underworld and was now one with the land of the dead. She could no longer return to the living." _

" '_He-who-invites' was shocked at this news but he refused to give in to her wishes of being left to the dark embrace of the shadow land. While 'She-who-invites' was sleeping, he took the comb that bound his long hair and set it alight as a torch." _

- "How could he do that if he killed the 'Causer of Fire' before?"

"_Killing usually doesn't erase influence. More often than not, one or more traces remain..._

_Under the sudden burst of light, he saw the horrid form of his once beautiful and graceful spouse. She was now a rotting form of flesh with maggots and foul creatures running over her ravaged body." _

Jango started wondering if it had been a good idea to delegate the task of storytelling.

"_Crying out loud, he could no longer control his fear and started to run, intending to return to the living and abandon his death-ridden wife. 'She-who-invites' woke up shrieking and indignant and chased after him. Wild, foul women and eight thunder deities also hunted for the frightened 'He-who-invites', instructed to bring him back." _

Boba was delighted. Some action – finally!

"_He burst out of the entrance and quickly pushed a boulder in the mouth of the cavern that was the entrance of the Shadow world. 'She-who-invites' screamed from behind this impenetrable barricade and told 'He-who-invites' that if he left her she would destroy 1,000 residents of the living every day. He furiously replied he would give life to 1,500." _

" '_He-who-invites' then cleansed himself of his sins. When he washed his face clean of the pollutants of the underworld, the goddess of the sun was born when he washed out his left eye, the god of the moon was born from the washing of the right eye, and the god of the sea and storms from the washing of the nose. Afterwards, 'He-who-invites' went on to become the ruler of the High Plain of Heaven, the dwelling place of the gods and deities, connected to the earth by the Floating Bridge of Heaven." _

Boba understood that this was something like 'happily ever after' and sighed. He would have preferred something more tangible. "Good night, dad. Nite, Tomoe."

"Good night, Boba." She slid back on her heels and rose, her hopes of a Jango-free night quickly squished by the bounty hunter's hand on the small of her back that steered her into the master bedroom.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 - Never tell the whole truth in a trade.

Jango sat on the edge of the cot and unbuttoned his shirt, baring inch by inch of his gorgeous skin underneath. "Come closer," he said, "I don't bite." Looking at the bite mark he'd left on her neck the day before, he chuckled, "Ah, well. I guess I do bite, but I promise I won't do so now." He removed his shirt, exposing his powerful chest and washboard abs.

Tomoe had no illusions about her chances to fight him or talk her way out of the situation, but something else was stirring beneath the surface. She pushed it down and took a step in his direction, as she had been told, her half lidded eyes lifted slowly in an impression of absolute boredom. "Can't you save it for somebody who is consensual?"

"I greatly prefer willing partners," his eyes narrowed into slits as he stopped up to her until they were nose to nose. "I expected you would be smart enough to be more... willing this time. A pity."

Straightening her shoulders, she looked up and met his eyes dead on, "You are infamous for finding people. So why don't you go out and find somebody who actually _likes_ you?" she retorted.

"The list of females in this sector who are genetically compatible, pre-menopause and not too preoccupied is quite short actually. That's why I don't mind a compromise." He was watching her with a mocking little smile that grated on her nerves, "After all, I didn't take anything that had not been taken before. It would have been taken less gently by somebody else if I had not bought you... It wouldn't hurt to show a little more appreciation on your behalf."

'You self-righteous thug,' she thought and swallowed hard "You took my life from me!" She hissed and stood against his body rigidly, eyes focused at his shoulders, her lips compressed into a thin line of irritation and anger.

"And still so livid..." Jango mused, watching her, as his fingers started caressing her cheek.

"I won't live as your plaything." It was so frustrating, so damning to be at someone's mercy in any situation, but was more so when it involved someone's bodily response.

"I just want to crack that exquisite civilized shell of yours and make a real woman of you... and you WILL let me in eventually _Cin'ciri_... mark my words!" he gave her some time to weigh her options, letting the reality of the fact that she was at his mercy sink in. "You can have my kindness..." He leaned close, fingers trailing to her chin to trace her compressed lips and wondered if a taste would be worth her bite. "Or we can have another tussle – as you like."

She realized that playing possum wouldn't stop him... another shock therapy might. "I have a third option..." she lifted her chin, took a hold on his shoulders to rise on her toes "You can have a share of my influenza." She melted against the handsome bastard and kissed him gently, ready to be pushed away when she opened his lips with her tongue, smoothing the inside of his lower lip.

His lips came down on hers, rough and insistent in a passionate kiss. His tongue slid deep into her mouth, his arms wrapped around her waist, crushing her against him. Tomoe could feel his hard-on rubbing against her. "Any time..." he felt her knees buckle when he sucked the very breath from her.

"Don't expect me to drop dead from some bacteria." He chuckled darkly when he broke the kiss and entwined a hand in her hair, holding her up against him. "I'll look after you," he kindly informed her as he pulled the tunic over her head "...keep you warm..." he tossed the garment on the floor and pushed her oversized pants down. His strong hands picked her up easily, squeezing her butt cheeks possessively and his lips again fused with hers, harder now, more intense, his razor stubble rubbing her raw.

Furious that she had to cling on him for balance, she dug her fingers into his short cropped hair. He settled her on the cot beneath his full length, pinning her with his weight and drew the bedspread up to cover them both. Underneath him he could feel the woman shuddering and desperately fighting for breath. He enjoyed every move and hoped she wouldn't surrender too soon. Her thighs had taken on a more defined tone that came from physical training. One worry less, several more to go.

He simply swallowed the "no" coming from her.

She stilled and he lifted part of his weight off her. "You have earned to watch me, so pay attention this time," his callused palms smoothed down her sides, ready to clamp down in a bruising grip while his mouth suckled gently on her erect nipples. Staring down at her pleading brown eyes filling with tears he lowered his face and licked her tears murmuring, "You know there's no dishonor in surrender."

-...-

Finally he collapsed on top of her with a small satisfied grunt, tasting a metallic tang of blood on her lips where she had bitten herself during his onslaught. For a moment he just laid there and let his eyes study her while his fingers threaded through her disheveled hair lazily, enjoying its silky texture. Whenever he had made progress or not, he felt deliciously wrung out. Melting against her, he mused, "You can as well submit to me and enjoy it. I know that you can't kill two."

Tomoe swallowed the bile rising in her throat. Did he know something she didn't? She assumed that he didn't care and contraception had been dealt with by the slavers, as an imperative to their marketing policy. If she was surprised, how could he know? Not that such future prospects really mattered. She chuckled softly, gaining his attention immediately. 'Ah ha,' she seized the unexpected chance to get a rid of his unwanted attention. 'Better feed him the information while most of his blood floods his nether regions...'

"I hate to put a dent into your sturdy caveman-tactic with ugly modern reality, but..." she raised an eyebrow, "You are wasting your efforts - I'm sterile."

"_Me'ven_?"He merely huffed at the implausibility, having checked for scars, injuries and age before. "Oh really?"

Time to detail... "Why else would I waste my best years on a full-time service job?" she smirked into his unbelieving face. Maybe if she unfolded it a little more, she could get a rid of him instantly. "A lot of radiation was unleashed in the last civil war." She didn't have to be very inventive to make up a legend for him.

Jango did not like the surprise, applying his most brutal tone "Then you better take care not to outlive your usefulness."

"I expected you would be smart enough to abstain from empty threads..." Tomoe mocked him, "What to do, Master Fett? Take me up on my word for another round? I don't think so, maaan... Kill me? Go ahead, as your property I've nothing to lose."

Jango caught her hand just before it could drive the first point home on his family jewels. "Patience." He murmured thickly, rose up and flipped her over. If her radiation level had been elevated to pose a threat, the armor's or by the latest the Slave I's sensory would have alarmed him. He closed the circle of his arms around her and crushed her against his hard body, spooning himself around her. "For now I'm not disappointed." He kissed her fingertips delicately, nipping them lightly.

She had succeeded making him nervous but now he was back in control. Somehow it made her feel strangely at ease, her body tingling from head to toe from unspent energy. She inhaled Jango's masculine scent and rested her weary head against his sweaty chest. Like he had thrown a switch, this other side gave her a feel of... safety?

"You enjoyed that." It wasn't a question. His hands smoothed over her velvety skin, discovering exactly where she was most sensitive to touch. Aside of her nervous reaction to his physical approach, this little spitfire's nerves could win her a fortune at the _sabbac_ table. He brushed a strand of hair away that clung to her sweaty, heated forehead. Maybe he had just uncovered the reason why she was drawn to his son? She soon found sleep in his arms. Tomorrow he would run a detailed check-up and put her statement on test.

-...-

In the morning, Jango untangled himself carefully not to wake Tomoe from her fitful sleep. Her body temperature had risen to a full-fledged fever. While he didn't mind her being put on her back and weakened for a couple of days, sleeping beside a tossing and turning woman for a week wasn't his idea of comfort.

Returning from the bathroom, he silently ran a scan with his gauntlet's sensory, checking for several types of radiation, finding no exceptional residual values. On the other hand, the long-time effects of nuclear warfare on female reproduction had been of little interest for him so far, which made him glad she couldn't monitor that gap of education in her delirium. Even the slight prick from taking a blood sample didn't wake her.

He went to the next room. "Boba, get up silently..." he signaled to his waking son "Shhh... she's sick, let her sleep." The young one huffed in response, yawned, stretched and padded out over the corridor while Jango sat in the living room, doing the analyze. The type of the acute infection was easily found and posed no threat since he had caught it long ago and was therefore immune. Boba was vaccinated against it like all other clones to prevent common diseases from wreaking havoc in Tipoca city's genetic mono-culture. He would get her a potion in the ward before returning from the calisthenics and a vaccination as soon as she was back to health.

Detail analyze was another topic. Sorting that out was a job for a specialist. Jango extracted the data and prepared a message to an off-world medical centre since he would not give the _Kaminoans_ another genetic sample to tamper with as they pleased. Since he had traded-in his own genes for his son, a fortune and the destruction of the Jedi-order, at least he would own her set exclusively. He enjoyed tampering with it immensely.

Returning from their pre-breakfast activities, he picked up a glass of water and the potion and called softly as he entered his bedroom. His _Cin'ciri_ was in bed, sweating in one moment and shivering the next, taking the name he had given her all too literally. Sitting down beside her, he put a gentle hand on her shoulder, calling her name again.

"You are not well." He smiled as her eyes cracked open and looked up at him, meeting her dilated gaze with concerned eyes. "Stay put, it's only seven o'clock." he eased her into the here-and-now gently.

"I feel tired," she admitted. "Yet I've been sleeping much more than I used to." No commanding colonel attitude this morning, she recognized. His face held no malice, no threat whatsoever and she almost found herself relaxing in his presence.

"Take this." He propped her up, gave her the potion and let her drink some water. "I'll leave a small breakfast on the table, try to sleep in anyway and drink a lot when you are awake. At lunchtime you'll feel better. Boba promised to do his lessons alone and in record time. He hopes that you two can prepare dinner together when he catches something edible."

"Thank you. Is Boba alright?"

"Why are you so insistent? It's just a flu."

"Where I come from, people DIE from introduced influenza. Foremost the elder and the very young."

"I understand." He wiped her forehead with a cloth. "That's what centuries of separation can do to a population. Our vaccination program here gets regular updates about the recent variations. Trust me, Boba is safe."

"That's good." She sunk back.

He turned back at her in the door frame smirking "And I am not an elder." He blew her a mock-kiss and left.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 - A bounty hunter must always be ready to go anywhere and face any danger. (day 5)

Around lunchtime, Tomoe gathered herself together and made it into the bathroom. She felt dehydrated but better after all. She showered and secured a length of thin wire by threading it through a seam of her tunic before putting it on. It was probably a remain of one of Boba's projects which had slipped the automatic cleansing but not her attention while she was telling last night's bedtime story. The wire itself was too weak to be useful, but she could change that when the time came.

For now, she got herself a warm drink and something to eat, and then settled in the easy chair with a blanket pulled up to her chin, waiting for the small one to come home. The weather outside didn't bode well for his fishing excursion... but then, that thin vertical rain out there was probably good weather, while bad weather meant horizontal rain and thunderstorm. She shrugged and started making notes for another bedtime story. It helped to put her mind elsewhere.

One hour past lunch the young one dropped by. "Good you are up already. Dad wants you to take this." He passed her another potion "I'll just grab my stuff and be outta here."

"What about your homework?"

"I'll look over the lesson while waiting for the fish to bite and do the exercises when I'm back." He went to grab his cape then padded over, pressing a smooch on her forehead. "And figure out what to make for dinner."

Tomoe shrunk into the chair at the gesture the small one had adapted the gestures of the missing father. "Sure," she pushed her discomfort down and hugged him back. "I'll soak some legumes for side dish... please come home before you're all soaked as well."

"Don't worry, I'm not made from sugar." He stored his notepad under his cape and was out.

She shook her head in disbelief and went into the kitchen. Sometimes father and son were so alike it in their looks and gestures it hurt. Shielding the son from his father's actions could not last much longer, no matter how well the walls were soundproofed and how badly she tried to stifle her cries. She had to end it soon or insult would be added to injury.

Little she knew that a fully armed up Jango had been hovering on the outside of the doorframe anticipating an escape try or an attempt on his son.

-...-

Three hour later, Boba returned with a four fishes on a line, an end of a translucent pipe that held a couple of shells and some indefinable blob with lots of tentacles. "Oh, so many... have you already identified them?" - "Nope, but they aren't of the kind marked as poisonous." Tomoe took the catch into the kitchen while shook water from his hairs and cloak like a wet dog, vanished in the bathroom then padded into the kitchen barefoot in a dry tunic, rubbing his curly black hair dry with a towel.

She had set up a notepad on the kitchen counter, flipping through similar species. "The fish are definitely edible, and so are the shells, if we manage to get them off that surface."

Boba poked one from the outside of the container "Yeah, I damaged my knife on the last one I scratched off the support."

"They are probably quite tenacious. I'd say slice, cross-slice superficially, then a spicy marinade with a shot of acid..."

"Sounds good. What about this one? It was wasting my baits one by one. In the end it was too stubborn let go when I pulled it up."

She pried a tentacle off the edge of the cylinder and dropped it back to keep the beast contained "Apparently it survived that just fine. The documentation says that light grey is fine, while dark grey is of no use for us."

"Now, that's not very reliable."

"Eye color is another indicator, but I can't see any." She tried to turn the inhabitant around with a spoon and it released a dark green cloud. "I'm sorry, that was unwise. I say we stop the testing here and you put it back down, then we sort out how to loosen the others inhabitants. The four plus starters are more than sufficient."

Just as she lifted the container from the counter, somebody lightweight scrambled around the open doorframe. She did not need to look around to feel deadly intent and she knew that a weapon was being trained on her. Instinctively she snatched up Boba, turned to shield him with her body then dove for cover, pushing him half into a cubicle with her hip while she ripped off the covering of a drawer. The first swing of the panel batted the knife from the attacker's front hand, and then she drove blunt edge up under the chin of the conveniently sized attacker.

She managed to stop the thrust in the last moment and ducked, using the boy's body as cover against the second adversary who was pressing on with a small blaster. "Steady!" she hissed.

"You are... human!" the boy coached and clutched the edges of the board pressing against his neck.

"So are you." She stated and adjusted the angle of the panel to get maximum cover and leverage to throw the boy into the other one.

"Unhand him." His partner in crime lifted the blaster off his target and exaggerated flipping-on the safety.

She let the panel sink down "What's wrong with you lads? Crèche closed early or what?"

"Nobody separates out Boba!" The intruder's eyes met briefly like an inaudible communication was going on. "What are you doing here?"

"I LIVE here for the time being. We are sorting out our dinner. Whenever Boba has time to play with you later is outside my remit." After all they were just kids, nevertheless their weapons looked real to her. Their wielders looked very similar, disturbingly so… twins? Or more 'clones' stuck in this nightmare?

The next question came threefold "Boba, you alright?"

The smaller boy scrambled out of the compartment, rubbing his head "_Fierfek_, what was that for?"

Keeping her eyes on the intruders Tomoe inched backwards, kicked the knife casually so it skittered into the far corner but kept the panel in reach while she parted strands of thick, unruly hair carefully where Boba's head had connected with the furniture. "No blood. Better a bump on the head than head off." She felt her pulse hammering in her fingertips. Did they even know what they were doing to her? It all seemed to be a game to those kids.

Boba brushed her hands off, glaring at the other boys. "Mereel, Prudii… where did you come from? Look at this. Dad will be furious."

"Uhmmm…" Mereel wouldn't pass Bob'ika their little secret in front of an adult individual who didn't listen on the name Kal'buir. "We just dropped by… outside."

Tomoe turned the panel in her hands, looking for fixtures "Eavesdropping can lead to misunderstandings." She stated in her most neutral voice. They had put off their murderous attempt, but fear and hatred was still coming in waves from the teens, "So what are you afraid of?"

"He was backsliding, then missing from training completely."

School was certainly an important part in the children's life, but this reaction was completely unreasonable. "Are you afraid that Boba failed and has to resit an exam? In that case you won't support him by pushing your blaster into my face. It's not my decision if he passes or not."

"I realized that just in time…" Mereel's face became oddly blank. "What is 'resit'?"

"Repeat an examination you failed… repeat a class…?"

"It doesn't work like that here."

"I see… can you fill me in why Boba has to keep up on all costs with pupils that are about… twice his age?"

"He is not."

"But?"

"We are about the same age. He's just the tail of the class, while we are class winners. That's why we are committed to help him."

She could not grasp it and tried to start on simple facts. "How old are you?"

"Five. So is Boba."

"You look more like ten to me, after you came in here gate crashing with the routine of grown-up conscripts - when you could have used the doorbell. Who is responsible for your upbringing?"

"We did not damage the door. And we hesitated," he pushed his chin forwards defiantly. This person knew very little and he would keep it that way, "That's why you are still alive."

Tomoe took a deep breath. This was leading nowhere, she had to repair the damage and have dinner ready before the grown-up version of a Fett arrived and asked uncomfortable questions. She had an idea how the teens got in here, but wasn't interested in sharing it.

"Alright, boys. As you can see, Boba is well and working on his school benefits. It's up to Mr. Fett to judge his progress. He won't be around for approximately one hour and I have work to do. I suggest you withdraw, tend to your own chores and ask your questions to him later. Mereel, I will store your knife to be picked up by your parent - tomorrow afternoon, after you slept over your behavior."

"Yes, ma'am." Prudii watched her eyes darken and tugged on Mereel's sleeve. This was no dispensable lanky aiwha-bait but an individual to be reckoned with, armor or not. Time to show a little flexibility. Twenty-four hours were sufficient to convince Boba to trade in the knife or –worst case- it was still better to confess a misinterpretation without consequences to Kal'buir than having messed up their leader's flat for no reason and injured or killed a non-target civvy.

"Boba would you please accompany them to the front door and dispose of the blob?" Tomoe put a pot on the stove and filled it with a fair amount of sugar.

-...-

In the corridor surrounding the housing area, the two Nulls walked with Boba between them who carried the container with the green liquid.

"I swear, she sounds like that old aiwha-bait, Ko Sai! 'Unwise', " Mereel falsettoed, " 'put it down'... We could not let her separate you out, Bob'ika, could we? I swear I would have sliced and diced Ko Sai for you."

"Thanks, _ner'vod_. Don't you worry, dad won't let Ko Sai touch any of us... I'm not sure about Tomoe though."

"Tomoe, it is? If we've made a mistake, we can go back and correct it." Prudii offered politely.

"NO! She's going to stand up for me any time, but you have no idea what dad's going to do to Tomoe if he thinks she has hurt me."

"It's not showing, don't worry, Bob'ika." Mereel ruffled Boba's hair with his good hand. "After all, I hit you all the time in training - while he's looking."

"_Dikut_." Boba ran out into the rain and threw the container's content over the edge of the platform "Good riddance." He scathed and hurried back home.

-...-

In the kitchen, Boba passed the container to Tomoe and regarded the panel clamped in place by a pair of spoons.

"Don't touch it yet," Tomoe warned him, "the improvised glue takes quite long to harden."

Boba was sure that his own room had been locked all the time. "What did you use?"

She took Mereel's slim knife to pop a seashell of the glass and dice it before they could attach to another surface. "Cooked something up from caramelised sugar and starch. Should hold long enough to 'grow grass' over the incident."

"I'd never have thought of that."

"I guess that's why your father wants you to learn more about the slightly imprecise art of cooking... This is a good knife. I wish I could keep it, but it's better if you store it as soon as we are done - whoever is going to pick it up tomorrow."

Boba nodded. "Or dad's going to jump to the wrong conclusions. He doesn't trust you."

"How about Mereel and Prudii's parents? Are they approachable or will they brutalize their sons?" she stood to clean the knife thoroughly.

"That would be Kal Skirata... He is not their father but behaves like one. You can trust in his decision. He thinks they are special and they certainly are, even though I've heard others call them 'deviant'."

"I would like to meet this Mr. Skirata... Cut the other like the first, please." She passed Boba the knife on a wipe. "By now I believe pointing a weapon for introductions isn't considered 'deviant' behavior here." She sighed "So what's special about them? ...I take it, there are more than two?"

"Yes, many more. But just six like Prudii and Mereel. As he said, they are class winners. Quicker, stronger, perfect recall... and they have more freedoms than anybody else. They answer to nobody but Skirata."

"Sounds amazing indeed. But where was their self-confidence a moment ago?"

"Everybody wants to cope with training. But something particularly ugly happened to them long ago, since that they have a problem with people calling them a failure or useless." Boba wiped the knife clean and went to store it in his chamber.

He returned with his pad to do his exercises while Tomoe finished dinner preparations. "They are death serious about sorting. Point taken. What is all this training for?"

"They train to be good soldiers."

"But they are ten... or... five year old kids."

"They are members of a grand army. They are good at it already, as you've seen, but they are training for perfection on the job they were created for."

"Who needs an army of kids?"

"I don't know." Boba shrugged in discomfort.

In Tomoe's opinion, a society that sent their kids for defense wasn't worth fighting for. "Who does the training?"

"My dad, Skirata, Vau... and some others."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 - The bounty hunter is free of attachments.

Tomoe didn't turn away from the counter as the first mentioned rounded the corner quietly. "_Su'cuy_, Dad." – "Doing well?" – "Sure." – "What's for dinner?" Jango sneaked a peak at the bowl on the table and had a look at Tomoe's hands before stepping closely behind her, frisking her briefly. Running his palm up her leg he snapped a narrow anklet around her heel. Flu or no flu, she had been looking too obedient. He always suspected hidden agendas when things were going too well.

"Sea shells in spicy marinade and fish in _gihaal_-_behot_-sauce." Tomoe informed him "You can be proud of Boba, he pulled up enough fish for four and helped a lot. Dinner will be ready in 15 minutes."

"A good catch should not be wasted. Four it is." Jango felt her go rigid under his palm. So his mere touch still wound her up in seconds. "So easy to manipulate." He murmured softly. His expression was tight as well as thoughtful. "I'll be right back." He turned to exit, but paused, a look of deadly calm on his tanned face.

His mind was restless when he strode down the corridor. He had given her no reason to love him. What if she chose or manipulated somebody else? He would never hand her the hidden knowledge, but the same way as he had felt drawn to her and made a snap decision, so could others. He had not forgotten the way she had caught Vau's gaze yesterday. Now Boba and Tomoe had reached a level of communication which began to leave him out. 'Disciplinary problems', as the old _gdan_ Skirata, had predicted. She needed to settle into her place and stop having secrets from him. A warning was due and Vau was just the one to do it. She would beg him to become his exclusive partner, soon.

Out of the corridor windows, the rapidly setting sun was blotted out by the storm clouds that had blown up darker, more intense. Already lightening flashed far off in the distance.

.oOo.

The surprise at the dinner-invitation did not show on Vau's face as he ducked through the doorway of Fett's flat, his bucket clutched under his arm. Tall and proud, he had a lean figure that emanated power and strength. For nearly five years he had lived alone in Tipoca City with Lord Mirdalan, worked hard and kept up his enigmatic, quiet and solo lifestyle. Never had anyone shared his personal space at his home and in return he was rarely invited. Whatever Fett had summoned him for, he would display his best manners.

"Good evening, Mr. Vau." Fett's _veriduur_ bowed then approached to receive the intimidating black helmet with a clean cloth covering her hands. Vau turned on his charm "Nice to see you again, Miss Harada," he said amiably and half expected that the helmet's weight would surprise her enough to drop it, but the young _arueti_ performed the age-old greeting into a warrior household with genuine ease. Maybe he had to adjust his evaluation?

Watching her place his helmet on a nearby shelf without leaving fingerprints on the matte black surface, he undid his boots. Boba welcomed him with unashamed curiosity. "_Su'cuy_, Boba", Vau gave the boy a quick pat on the shoulder and arranged his long armored legs under the corner seat beside him. His half-lidded, half-tired look disguised his quick assessment of the interior modifications in Fett's flat.

Jango noticed Tomoe had already set up the table in the corner of the room. _Gihaal_? It smelled wonderful. He noted only three sets "You will eat with us, Cin'ciri." She bowed again, rearranged the table for four persons and turned to serve. "Have at it." Jango said with a slight smile of amusement on his face at the way she regarded him, both warily and also with curiosity.

When she sat down on the bench nearest to the kitchen, Vau spoke to her directly for a short moment "I have not had a decent meal in several days and I am truly starved." his eyes seemed to bore into her very soul one instant. His gaze was met with unafraid interest. He elegantly melted back into the small talk as quickly while they ate, mostly about the housing, holozines, and other light topics. She certainly was a good listener.

Everything was fine with Tomoe as she enjoyed every scrumptious bite of her meal. For once it had such thing as taste. It made her realize how starved her senses had become within days in the non-descript surroundings. Once everybody was finished, she cleared the table silently, served caf to the adults and fruit juice to Boba. Afterwards she vanished to tidy-up the kitchen.

Jango leaned back in his chair comfortably. "I assumed that she could cook when I got her, but not that well." He sighed contentedly and sipped his cup of caf. His scarred face showed no signs of tenseness or agitation over the impending conflict.

"Where did you find her?" There was something compelling about the young woman. Vau had watched her serving silently with a fluent elegance that evoked the feeling of home and being well cared for. At the same time it allowed her to slip his attention unless he concentrated specifically on her. Underneath all her sophisticated female elegance, she possessed the stealth of a magnificent lethal animal.

"She was sold in a slave-auction... Couldn't have her thrown to the dire-cats, could I?" Jango emphasized his generosity.

"I've heard you have no problems to do so when it comes to your enemy." Intriguing. Two days and Fett had his slave acting like a mindful, compliant servant who anticipated his every wish without tedious groveling. "She must be deeply grateful," he mused to cover up the silent correction of his observation: She was anticipating HIS and Boba's every wish while handling her master with serviceable routine and emotionless patience.

"She is... within certain limits." Jango harrumphed and allowed Vau another change of topic.

.oOo.

Tomoe had hoped that Vau would be gone when she was finished in the kitchen, but the two men had opened up a bottle of an alcoholic beverage of sorts. Vau made her feel uneasy and she doubted that Fett would make her day by dozing off on a glass or two, so she simply moved on to tuck in Boba.

Not missing Fett's scrutiny, she sat on the edge of Boba's bed to tell his bedtime story "Do you remember who took the reign after the withdrawal from He-who-invites?"

"Sure." Boba yawned "The gods of sun, moon and sea."

"_The Sun Goddess is the most well-known deity of my home world's mythology. Her feuding with her uncontrollable brother, the god of the storms and the sea however, is equally infamous and appears in several tales. _

_The Storm God had a fierce temper and was given to cruel acts. Moreover he made a practice of continually weeping and wailing. So he brought many of the people of the land to an untimely end. Again and again he caused green mountains to become withered._

_The father, He-who-invites, tired of the storm god's repeated complaints, banished him: "You are exceedingly wicked and it is not appropriate that you should rule the world. Certainly you must leave far away to the Lands Below."_

_The Storm God grudgingly acquiesced, but had to attend to some unfinished business first: _

_"I will now obey your instructions and proceed to the Nether Land. Therefore I wish for a short time to go to the Plain of High Heaven and meet with my elder sister, after which I will go away for ever."_

_Permission was granted him by his father and after this decision, He-who-invites, his task having been accomplished and his power great, ascended over the void and made report of his mission. There he dwelt in the smaller palace beyond the void where he lived forever in silence and concealment._

_Now at first when the storm good went up to Heaven, by reason of the fierceness of his divine nature there was a commotion in the sea, and the hills and mountains groaned aloud. The Sun Goddess, knowing the violence and wickedness of this deity, was startled and changed countenance when she heard the manner of his coming. She said to herself, "Is my younger brother coming with good intentions? I think it must be his purpose to rob me of my kingdom. By the charge which our parents gave to their children, each of us has his own allotted limits. Why, therefore, does he reject the kingdom to which he should proceed, and make bold to come spying here?"_

_So she bound up her hair into knots and tied up her skirts into the form of trousers. Then she took a string of five hundred jewels, which she entwined around her hair and wrists. Moreover, on her back she slung a thousand arrow quiver. On her lower arm she drew a dread loud-sounding gauntlet. Brandishing her bow end upwards, she firmly grasped her sword-hilt and stamping on the hard earth of the courtyard, sank her thighs into it as if it had been foam-snow, and kicked it in all directions. Having thus put forth her dread manly valor she uttered a mighty cry of defiance, and questioned him in a straightforward manner._

_The Storm God answered and said, "From the beginning my heart has not been black. But as in obedience to the stern behest of our parent, I am about to proceed forever to the Land Below. How could I bear to depart without having seen face to face thee my elder sister? It is for this reason that I have traversed on foot the clouds and mists and have come here from afar. I am surprised that my elder sister should, on the contrary, put on so stern a countenance_

_Then the Sun Goddess again asked him, saying, "If this be so, how will you make evident the redness of your heart?" _

_He answered and said, "Let us, I pray you, make an oath together. While bound by this oath, we shall surely produce children." He proposed a bargain to avoid his father's decision "If the children which I produce are females, then it may be taken that I have an impure heart. But if the children are males, then it must be considered that my heart is pure." _

_Upon the Sun Goddess asked for the Storm god's ten-span sword, which she broke into three pieces, and rinsed in the true-well of Heaven. Then chewing them with a crunching noise, she blew them away, and from the true-mist of her breath three divine daughters, the princesses Sunrise, Sunset and Noon-Reflection were born. _

_After this the Storm God begged for the string of jewels which was entwined in her hair and round her wrists, and rinsed it in the true well of Heaven. Then chewing it with a crunching noise, he blew it away, and from the true-mist of his breath there were Gods produced. They were called Swiftness, Rain, Wave, Lightning and Thunder - in all five princes. _

_Then the Sun Goddess said, "Their seed was in the beginning the necklace jewels which belonged to me. Therefore these five male Deities are all my children." So she took the princes and brought them up. Moreover she said, "The ten-span sword belonged to you, Storm God. Therefore these three female deities are all your children." So she delivered them to the Storm god and bid him farewell._

_Both gods declared themselves to be victorious, but the Sun Goddess insistence in her claim drove the Storm God to violent campaigns that wreaked havoc in the fields and the palace which reached their climax when he hurled one of the Sun Goddess' sacred mounts through the roof her weaving hall, causing the death of one of her attendants. _

_Started with alarm, the Sun Goddess wounded herself with the shuttle, causing impurities to the divine fabric of life. Indignant at this, she straightway entered the Rock-cave of Heaven, and having fastened the Rock-door, dwelt there in seclusion. Therefore constant darkness prevailed on all sides and the alternation of night and day was unknown._

_As a result, the world was consumed with darkness. Without her, everything began to wither and die. Eight million deities gathered in front of her cave and devised a way to lure her out. They all sat around the cave, set up a mirror in a tree across from the entrance, brought offerings and made long-singing birds of the Eternal Land utter their prolonged cry to one another. _

_Without success._

_Finally, the voluptuous Goddess of Merriment turned over a wash-tub and began a sensual dance, tapping the beat on the tub. All of the gods made a great noise of yelling and cheering and laughing. The Sun Goddess peeked out to see what the noise was about. She asked the nearest god what was going on and he replied that there was a new goddess. When the Sun Goddess asked where she was, he pointed to the mirror._

_The Sun Goddess had never seen herself and when she caught her reflection, she stared at the radiance of her own form. She was so surprised she said _omo-shiroi_ which means both "white face," which the goddess had, and "fascinating". _

_Then the God of Strength quickly took the Sun Goddess by the hand and led her out. Once she was out of the way, two more deities at drew a limit by means of a bottom-tied rope and begged her not to return again into the cave. _

_Once the Sun Goddess returned to the Celestial Plain, all life began to grow again and become strong in her light. She made sure that she was ready for her brother's harsh actions again by having a bow and quiver at her side._

_After this all the gods put the blame on the Storm God, and imposed on him a fine of one thousand offerings and so at length chastised him. They also had his hair and nails plucked out and by this made him expiate his guilt. When this was done, they at last banished him downwards._

.oOo.

"Come here." Jango motioned her once he saw Tomoe leaving Boba's room, "Sit with us," he invited, putting off his rigid tone for the time being. Filled with good food and her body comfortably warm from a cup of _shig_ Tomoe took the free seat on the bench beside Vau. "What was tonight's bedtime story about?" Jango inquired.

"I told Boba the tale about the sun goddess' infamous feuding with her uncontrollable brother, god of the sea and the storm."

"Sounds interesting. Who won?"

Tomoe briefly considered Vau's question "Nobody, I believe, since they lost the benefit of their complement powers."

"That was to be expected." Their guest took a sip of _tihaar_ and put his glass down. Attentively she picked up the bottle and offered refill but Vau refused, "I still have work to do. It's going to be a very long night for me and..." he placed his hand over hers. "...I need to keep my wits about me."

Jango saw their little exchange which fuelled his suspicions. When she stood to refill his glass as well, he dug his fingers into her forearm "I will not have you enveloped in any plans and schemes," he told her softly, then addressed his guest with an almost dark amused tone. "I see she has caught your eye, too, so..."

Tomoe began to feel alarmingly like she was a side of meat thrown into a hungry lion's cage. Somehow Fett keeping his total composure scared her more than had he smacked her across the face.

"...you can have her for a night, Walon." Jango jovially lobbed a detonator into what had felt like a civilized evening a moment ago.

Vau crocked an eyebrow at this highly irregular proposal, his hand sidling down to rest on his sidearm for a moment. 'So you finally get to the core of the matter, Fett,' he thought and watched the female's rapid change of expressions from dumfounded to stunned to seething angry, like a man mildly interested by a _holovid_. If looks could kill, Jango would have dropped dead at her glare. Instead Fett lived and smiled smugly. 'Enjoying yourself while poking my cruel side, are you?' Two could play this game, but after being left in the dark all evening, Vau felt somewhat ...used? For the moment he knew one thing for certain: 'Shove it Fett, I'm tired.'

A soft chuckle came from the larger man's throat but it was neither mean nor insulting. He knew how to keep Jango on his toes. "Oh, you really like him don't you?" Vau addressed Tomoe casually, almost soothingly, "Easy, you are not my type anyway. I like your cooking and you are very pretty, but you and I, we would not be compatible in bed. I like a woman who stands at least one head higher than you and with more meat on her bones."

She swapped her attention on the harsh lines of the large man's face but could not tell whether he was joking with her or not. His green-rimmed golden eyes revealed nothing. "Now," he said switching subjects easily to save the evening "I will call it a night. Mird's waiting for me." He stood, causing Tomoe to jump and gather his helmet and boots for him to leave.

"Not quite." Fett's gravelly voice seemed to lower the room temperature to the freezing point. "I know your acting can be very good when you want." He said dryly and then motioned his slave to follow his guest. Kneeling beside Vau to tie his boots, she stared back at him in disbelief. Fett looked more terrifying this night than she had ever seen him, perhaps because his eyes were as dead and unemotional as the dark sky. 'Realize I am the one at whose feet you should kneel, _Cin'ciri_. Ask for my forgiveness and protection and I will grant it.' His lips still held the ghost of a smile.

„Thank you, but I must decline," Vau glanced discreetly at the terrified woman by his feet. It would obviously do him no good to take the leavings of someone else's rape. He forced a smile "You really are too generous." He said with a slight gentlemanly tilt of his head and moved on.

"Skip the polite self-effacement, Vau. Do as I order you. Make sure this problem doesn't surface again for us." Fett said in deadpan seriousness while raising an eyebrow. 'When Old Psycho is through with you, _Cin'ciri_, you'll never do so much as looking at the opposite sex again.'

Vau knew that nothing he said to Fett would get him a pass, therefore he advanced, "It's an ugly business, doing one's duty," his gaze locked on Fett's "But just occasionally, it is a real pleasure," he grinned, showing strong white teeth as he eyed the female at his feet with a barely concealed hunger, giving Fett just the display he had requested.

Tomoe looked up into his coldly handsome face, which she could have found attractive under different circumstances. 'I trusted you were on a diet?' She could not show any weakness to him. Those Mandalorians were always so good at exploiting any. She pushed dread and nausea down and contained it with the single letter that had become her charm, to become one with the black void that Fett had ripped into her soul. From this point of view it certainly made no difference.

She had been so light hearted this evening, but when she rose to her feet now, Jango could not see through her marble impression. He went into detail to ripple the blackness of her eyes' dark pools. "You told me that contraception won't be an issue?" he approached and used a fingertip to tilt the empty mask of her face up to him. Had she been truthful the day before? She turned her head away harshly, so he addressed Vau but spelled it out for her ears..."Use her backdoor anyway. As often as you want. Return her in the morning at five hundred, before Fall-In." Even then she wouldn't even look at him for help. Fett also knew that he would lose ground if he hurt her too badly… but the choice was no longer his. "Make it a bit rough if she doesn't co-operate. But no slotting, no disintegrations, no accidents."

Vau's eyes lidded a moment as he slipped deep into thought. "Come along, Tomoe. My quarters." Without waiting for a reply, the dark sentinel turned on his heel and started striding briskly in the direction of the corridor where his quarters were located. 'Damn you Fett!' Now he not only had a female underfoot that was disturbing his privacy but worse, one who seemed to spark an interest in him, in areas of his heart and soul he thought long ago stone dead, and buried behind layers of walls. Was it the way she had unconsciously sought out solace, protection and even strength from him the other day? Deep in his soul he felt that he cared, wanted her to grow strong enough to survive. But once he honed her edge he knew, it would not be in their leaders favor.

Once the leader of the _Cuy'val Dar _was alone with his thoughts, he turned his back on the door and watched the rain beating on the transparisteel windows with a sudden ferocity, trying to drain his own tension. Jango closed his eyes, but that lead only to envisaging the scene he knew would take place. He cursed himself out privately in his mind.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14 - A bounty hunter never complains.

Running down one of the two ends of the bend corridor with a long legged gunman on her heels and no place to hide would only fuel the man's instinct to pursue.

Tomoe walked out behind Vau's towering armor clad form without another look at Fett, feeling like an increased gravity was dragging her down. She pulled in her breath as they rounded a corner that lead into a narrow walkway. Connecting the main dome and domed tower topped with devices, it allowed a shielded passage through the storm that threw rain and spray against the transparisteel covering the walkway. An elevator took them up on the higher level. Once the door slid open a scent that reminding of a predator cage hit her squarely in the face. No wonder this particular Mandalorian wasn't living in the immediate vicinity of other housing quarters.

Vau followed into the dark room and closed the door behind him. Then to her surprise one of his large hands came up and tilted her chin upwards to face him, forcing her to meet his penetrating eyes. "You are scared," he said it as a statement not a question, "...of what Fett has asked me to do, or of what I might do to you," he added idly, calmly turning her by the shoulders and steering her towards the picture-window that dominated the room. Tomoe gazed into the pouring rain intermixed with lightening. He seemed to be preoccupied, falling a step behind. And then she suddenly felt his sidearm jammed up against her lower back.

He would train her in the only way he knew, the way his own training of so long ago had been. Direct, hard and humbling. He knew no other way; it was the way all his teachers had taught him. Despite the armor that gave him comfortable isolation, he avoided touching her anywhere else while he applied his policy of encouragement. It consisted of posing a terrifying choice. In a way, it transformed beggars to choosers. Making choices kept you going. "I can help you to go through with it or I can be merciful and give you a quick end." While Fett's monitoring anklet had not slipped his notice, shooting her on the spot could hardly be counted as an accident, could it?

"Why?" Tomoe turned her head slowly, watching the way the lightning and the shadows played over the lean planes and angles of his granite like face. She let the information wash over her like a warm wave of water. His offer to sweep her away from the black void inside her soul effortlessly and painless was incredible seductive. "I thought death would be cold ...and awful..." she said softly. For her, his promise held the key to a soothing, pain-free darkness that engulfed and cradled her "...not like you..."

A shiver ran down Vau's back. He prided himself fighting ice-cold, calm and utterly detached. Could she not feel it? He had a feeling so profound it shook him to the depths of his soul. Was he losing his own edge after all? His free hand caressed around her throat, his powerful fingers slightly tightening around her neck. Did she even know what she was doing to him? "Decide." His baritone voice resounded through the small tower apartment.

Tomoe looked away and the spell was broken but he could feel her hand on his gloved one. 'I have not endured so much just to yield to temptation by a lordy henchman of the commanding caveman,' she thought and absolutely refused to give up. She had sworn to kill Fett and she was going to do it _herself_ - whatever it took. "Please... return me in the morning, so I can go down in a significant fight," she told him unwavering, staring into the rain again before she added a promise of her own: "I won't take performing your duties personally."

"So be it..." Vau said quietly ending the whole conversation mechanically while he tried to find his lost thread before the matter got out of his hands completely. 'Insignificant' , echoed in his mind. He felt like his main weapon had been wrestled from his grip and turned upon himself. Was there a more degrading way to keep up one's reputation? 'You know what you have to do next,' he chided himself lightly. His was not to question why, just to do. Fett had been specific on things.

He heard a scratching outside on the veranda and opened the door when he passed it, "Ah, Mird, there you are..." A dark indefinable shape slunk around him and bounced up and down exited on six legs, whining like a pup, drops splattering in all directions. 'My saviour!' He tilted his head. "Keep her there," Vau said, a serious look of quiet command in his eyes. The S_trill_ went into its softening-up routine immediately, padding around Tomoe's legs, occasionally stopping to gaze up at her and display a yawning mouthful of teeth. He smiled and turned on his heel to get his kit for chemical interrogations. He would be back and on top of things just before the S_trill_ worked into total hysteria.

Immediately the tension that had hung like a dark curtain lifted. "So you are the infamous Lord Mirdalan," Tomoe offered a hand for the S_trill_ to get acquainted with her scent while the rest of her body stayed motionless. "Looks like you came home in last moment before the storm. Be a nice puppy and stay with me while Walon gets you a towel." Her hand slid over the back of the large carnivore as it slunk around her legs, the rain in its pelt soaking her clothing "Oh, you are so floppy!" She chuckled. "You two look like carved out of a single _Wookie_… you got all of the pelt, while he got most of the height?" The S_trill_ sat on its haunches and tilted its head up to her with a small mewl, staring at her from red-rimmed golden eyes. "Just joking." She patted the thick round head. "You smell quite different so you certainly are an individual of your own right."

By the time Vau re-emerged, Mird's menacing qualities had taken quite a dent. His fair-weather friend had succumbed to the idea that scratching a S_trill's_ belly was a choice method to keep an inmate from running. It had probably something to do with the instinctive connection between kids, animals and lunatics... "I'm glad you two get along" he huffed and dropped a large towel over her shoulder. It was like she could turn it on or off, this black void of velvety emptiness that threatened to draw him in.

"My father used to have a pack of _Hi-inu_... large carnivores like Mird. I miss them." She explained and toweled off the delighted animal while he turned to fill a hypodermic with practiced skill. Its contents would help him to take control of the situation and give him back his privacy. Placing one of his large hands against her round shoulder he caressed her soothingly. "Take a break and roll up your sleeve." He ordered quietly. She stood, "nice enough now Mird, go ahead." The S_trill_ scrambled to its six feet with a heartfelt sneeze. "Bless you," she turned to face Vau.

He opened up a disinfectant wipe to swab the crook of Tomoe's elbow. "Something to relax you for tonight. It's on the house." With an expertise that surprised her, the large man skillfully and yet gently inserted the needle into her vein and then slowly depressed the plunger. "What is it?" - "A mixture of two powerful hypnotics and sedatives that will help you to go through with it," ... 'and me as well,' he simply said as he finished injecting her and then held a small wad of gauze on her arm "Hold this until the bleeding has stopped."

He led her firmly but gently into the bathroom, switching the lights on. "Undress," he ordered her, his expression one of determination. He removed his gloves, staring down on her as a large tiger looks into the eyes of its prey before it devours it. Though one that would have preferred a woman with a little more meat on her. "...then I'll bath you." He calmly said and turned away, stripping himself efficiently, stacking matte black armor plates and securing weapons.

It gave her a perfect view in the full light while undressing herself, close but impersonal. She wondered how old he was. Under the bulky matte black armor he had an amazing body, his long sinewy legs, hard rounded butt and lean, muscular torso covered with numerous scars that disturbed golden ivory skin. His every movement was so graceful that it scraped ten years off easily. 'Yes,' she encouraged herself, if she wanted to turn this on Fett, that was just the way she needed to see it.

Motioning Mird to stay on his armor and weapons, he joined her in the shower. When he touched her flesh, it made her hackles rise, but his large hands felt warm and powerful. Ignoring the angry red _kyr'bes _on the middle of her back he carefully soaped her whole body in stoic silence and washed her hair, watching the long dark tresses trailing her feminine curves with the water. Her sleek perfection was far from frail. Perhaps for once size would not matter to his enjoyment. "You are doing fine," his deep voice reverberated in a soothing mantra. The S_trill_ yawned heartily.

After a few minutes Tomoe felt whatever drug he had injected into her was beginning to take effect as she began to get sleepier and sleepier. "Flow with it," Vau's deep baritone voice resounded. "Imagine you are on a boat and you are far out at sea, the waves lifting you and plunging you. Don't fight it. Join with the rhythm, flow with the waves…" He half supported her, half pinned her against the wall. Between Vau's calming massage, his warm but smothering weight against her backside and the drugs he had given her, she was drifting in mind, body and soul and finding it harder to keep her eyes open. 'The Tiger' may be a stone cold killer but right now, in this delusional state and at this moment, he was her savior. The water ceased and a pleasant warm air stream began to invade her senses and drift over her as well as a feeling of carefree release, as though she had not a worry in the world.

.oOo.

She awoke the next morning to the enticing smells of strong caf mixed with the pungent scent of wet wool and musk. It was still dark outside but she blinked her eyes and tried to swipe at them when she noticed her hands were securely bound by a length of rope which then ran to the collar of a large, breathing lump of an animal with sloppy, golden fur covered skin, thus preventing her from running anywhere. She struggled to wake up from what felt like the worst hangover she'd ever had.

Panic began to race through her bloodstream, what had happened? What was going on? She could vaguely remember that she had done as Fett had ordered and had gone to Vau's apartment earlier and…? The rest was a disjointed mumbled vision of ghosts and images that made no sense.

Obviously, somebody had wrapped her up in a towel, put a blanket all over her and placed her bundled clothing under her head like a cushion. She sniffed. Freshly washed obviously, but where did that stench come from... "Mird?" She tried pulling the rope but the animal's weight of the on the other end was solid. She realized she was going nowhere and got nothing but a mildly annoyed grumble of the sloppy predator. "Hello?... anybody here?"

"Ah, you are up…" like some dark sentry hiding in the shadows Vau's cultured voice preceded him as he walked over to the doorframe and leaned casually against it. He looked strangely at ease, dressed in a dark shirt; his collar unbuttoned revealing golden ivory skin. His short cropped greying hair enhanced the hard lean edges of his clean shaven face. The green rimmed golden eyes regarded her as he held up his hand "Stay down, Mird."

He sidled into the room and walked over to untie her. "Easy, little one" She did not dare to move a muscle as Vau expertly pulled the knots loose and freed her. "Thanks," she mumbled, as though she had a wad of cotton jammed in her mouth. She felt so exhausted and tired, so worn and drained. "Now," Vau continued, "you go freshen up." He paused and a slight smirk crept up his face, "You are to be home within half an hour. So there you go."

Tomoe snatched up her stuff and scrambled to her feet to do as he had instructed. She made it past the doorframe before her legs denied service with little to no warning. She sagged down on her side and hit the floor to chase the numbness from her core with the pain shooting up her palm. Going through her morning hygiene routine, she desperately wished she could piece together what had happened last night! The last 'coherent' thought she had was leaving with Vau then nothing, just disjointed images and phrases that made no sense or worse no memories at all. If she wanted to remember at all... she doubted that it would help her to pull herself together in the here and now. Whatever choices she had made, they had kept her on target obviously.

When she came back out Vau motioned her to a table that already held a steaming cup of strong caf. "This will help you to wake up." – "Thank you, that's so considerate," she took a sip "Do you like working with animals and children?" – "Yes." – "How about Boba?" – "Rarely... and you ask me this, why?" he glanced back at her and she felt as though the man was a living lie detector. She emptied the cup as well as her mind "I ask you because I respect you," she answered truthfully, and then let the cup sink back on the table to squish the dull pounding fear within her. "Let's go back."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15 - Never call attention to yourself. (day 6)

Vau half guided, half supported her on the way back to Fett's place. Tomoe was about to open her mouth and thank him sincerely but at that moment the front door slid open and her heart slammed into her chest. Jango opened, rolling up the sleeves of a washed-out blue tunic. A small dark smile of revenge briefly played on Vau's lips at the sight of the harsh dark circles under his eyes. "You don't look so good today, Fett." he said quietly in his deep, sepulchral voice, "You alright?"

Fett glanced blankly at her a moment then he nodded once towards her and motioned her inside, before speaking quietly Vau in rapid _Mando'a_, then both men briefly grabbed each other's elbow, saying goodbye. When Fett turned his back on the door, the subject under discussion was brushing her teeth in the bathroom like every day. Tomoe flipped her long raven hair casually to her back to keep it away from the sink, scooped up some water in her palms to drink and wash out her mouth then rinsed and dried her hands and face. Then she turned to face the mercenary hovering in the doorframe.

Jango had not expected to get emotionally involved, not to this extent. How dare she to act so unaffected? "Undress," he hissed, his face void of emotions.

"Good morning too you, too, Master Fett." She grabbed the hem of the tunic and pulled it over her head in a single swift movement, then threw it into his face. "Don't worry, all the bruises you have inflicted on me are still in place, color of the day: glorious yellow," she put on her educational voice and slipped down the loose pants to kick them off, turning a full circle with her arms held well away from her body. She would do what he said for some more hours, but never the way he preferred. Nothing ruffled his Spartan attitude as much as enjoyment and she had no need for further surprises. 'Selective memory is a gift,' she sighed. "Fall-in is in half an hour. Little time to make yourself presentable."

So she was still dejecting him, but he could easily ignore her sharp tongue. "Possibly." Jango passed her the garment and then he suddenly slung his strong arms around her, lifting her off the ground to nuzzle the nape of her neck sensuously "Just making sure you are alright." He put her down to frisk her, the once over of his palms telling him that she had no external injuries. At least there was no blood sticking to his fingertips.

"No more treatment of sore spots, thank you," she used his attention to her calves to slip the tunic back over her head. "Want me to prepare you a wet pack?"

"Who needs a wet pack?" Boba yawned from the doorway, blinking at the display.

"Somebody with a sleeping disorder," she briefly supported herself on Jango's shoulder and slunk around him, then picked up her pants and ruffled Boba's hair on the way. "I'm out of here, don't let it keep you up."

Tomoe would wait for the Fetts to leave, do her gym, checking and eliminating whatever damages were hidden by Vau's drug use. After breakfast there would be enough undisturbed time to prepare her weapon so she would be ready whenever Fett returned without his son. From the feel of his eyes piercing her back she assumed that he wasn't done with her yet.

She could tell that she loved the adamant schedule of this place. It made people so very predictable and herself the only privileged being with spare time in... this sector of the galaxy? She just wondered if Mereel would send Skirata for a talk at all and if he would become a help or an obstacle. Killing Jango Fett was one thing, getting away another. Maybe she could hit two birds with one stone.

.oOo.

Jango used the lunch break to check the Slave 1's secure communications for a reply to his request. He went over the commented readout in the privacy of his helmet while returning to the afternoon's ARCs training exercises. Strolling down the corridor seemingly absentminded, he gathered that first, she had managed to dish out a round lie without blushing. And second, he could pride himself of getting her where he wanted - physically at least.

Kal Skirata sidled up with him, waited for Jango to take off his bucket and transfer the bean-comlink into his ear before he got right to the point "I have a Null who tries to hide a sprained wrist, a knife phasing in and out of existence and a shadow that eggs me on to visit you. Would you believe in a connection?"

"None I could think of." Jango shrugged his shoulders. All he had to offer was foodstuff that sliced itself while his son's knife was a case for his workbench... where he had mended it last night to put his mind elsewhere. "I gave Boba a leave of yesterday's afternoon exercises which he didn't spend in the company of your Nulls."

"I may be old and hearing impaired, but I'm not blind." Kal enjoyed watching Jango squirm a bit. "You have taken on more than you can handle."

"Why do I do anything? Kal, it is not for you to second-guess me but to trust me and more importantly follow my orders."

"When did I ever let you down? Loyalty is a double edged blade."

"I expect you to solve the problems with your batch on your own, period. There is no problem, but please, come over after dinner and convince yourself."

.oOo.

Jango re-scheduled Boba to spend the day away from his slave until he made sure she was in line. They ate dinner in the mess hall with the other instructors. They were on their way home while Skirata's attention was required by some commando-subjects and the unruly Nulls who waited all day for a possibility to grill their old man.

Coming home, Jango spotted Tomoe sitting in his easy chair, doing exercises on the notepad sitting on her lap. "Have you eaten already?" – "No." – "Then do so now." She went into the kitchen, breaking off a piece of a food-board that was about as tasty as cold _mochi_, but the texture lacked any comfort. "We will have a guest after dinner." Jango informed her.

It would do her no good to look not at least a little surprised. "Again? Did you lose your job lately or do you expect me to put Boba through college?"

"College?" Boba felt like standing on the borderline of the field, watching others play _meshgeroya_.

"Shut up, Cin'ciri" Jango huffed, "I want you to treat our guest with utmost politeness and respect," he ran a fingertip along her neck and the yellowish bruise spreading over her collarbone "and let your hair down." Whenever needed or not, her raven tresses would cover up any imperfections he had inflicted on her.

"Of course, Master Fett," from her it sounded like an insult, "never expected anything else." She went to brush out her hairs. Not that a single one would fall tonight after her preparations. What she wasn't prepared for was the man who strolled in some moments later.

.oOo.

This time, Boba left it to his father to answer the door, clutching the hem of Tomoe's tunic briefly. "Hush... I slipped Mereel his knife during the morning gym," he whispered then scooted into the corner seat for quiet observation.

Despite the fact that Kal Skirata stood only slightly above her at 5'8" and dragged his leg, his presence and charisma seemed to make him almost as big as Vau. His worn out civilian jacket from tan bantha leather and plain brown slacks could not fool Tomoe about his forty or even fifty years of experience as a soldier.

"_Me'vaar ti gar?" _Skirata focused briefly on his leader then looked past Fett to face the female extra complication who had turned to face the hallway and bowed to him. The woman did not look in bad shape as far as it could be told by looking at an oval face surrounded by a distracting luxurious curtain of black hair. A set of Fett's clothing covered her to fingertips and toes. At least she was not in a bad condition for somebody who had fought against Jango Fett and lost.

_"Naas."_ Jango stepped out of the way "_K'olar lo_."

Skirata moved a couple of steps into the room as if it were booby-trapped. Something about the man looked primal, feral and almost lupine, like a grizzled wolf with not an ounce of fat on him. There was some kind of inner grace and strength that alluded Tomoe's mind about him. Those blue eyes of his were the eyes of someone who had killed so many he had stopped counting, a man who had done a hundred crimes, who had loved, who had lost, who had lived, and who had died.

"_Re'mhi sheber bal pirur jatla kurshi' trattokla' shig" _Jango proposed, observing Tomoe pour tea silently and without ever lifting her gaze to one of them.

Skirata sat down "I'm Kal, ma'am," he addressed her directly, "What's your name?" She didn't meet his eyes but looked off slightly off to the side Jango had taken. "I'm Tomoe, sir," her voice was low and melodic. If she was terrified, she was good at hiding it behind a marble face decorated with a tiny smile. There could be anything behind it or nothing. It was intimidating and distracting and Kal was ambushed by his own unexpected hostility towards her.

Tomoe felt him switch from a loveable rogue to a creature of pure ice suddenly. "Apologies, sir." Without another word, she took refuge in the routine of her movements. Kal leaned back in the chair. So she wasn't completely insensitive after all, but he still wondered how this woman had managed to addle Fett's brain. Jango let out a sigh and started conversation in Mando'a which she didn't understand well enough, nevertheless she managed to pick up two names: Mereel and Vau.

Boba stood and went to his room, returning with a box of scrap-pieces. He silently retrieved Tomoe's hand and pulled her over to the far corner of the room. They sat down cross-legged and he started explaining and dismantling a circuit then passed it to Tomoe who put it back together. Kal could tell she was friendly, quick-witted and ambidextrous around the boy, the two sharing a private laugh for a moment.

"_K'olar, Cin'ciri_!" She cocked her head at Jango's harsh voice calling the name he had given her "_Ke duum kaysh haa'taylir gar taab_." He drawled.

'Foot... see' she picked up, briefly looking from Jango to Kal 'What does he want?' she wondered and stood to her feet, her gaze locked on her toes. "_Ni nu suvar ani_?"

"Show Kal your foot. The left one." Tomoe lifted the hem of her oversized fatigue pants. "Closer." He watched her tiptoe over to Skirata and then set her foot lightly on the chair's armrest, revealing the anklet. "I told you leaving my home unnoticed was impossible since I monitor her location as well as her vital signs."

"I see... and you _train_ her." Kal's voice dripped sarcasm. His gaze wandered over her ankle and hands to settle on her eyes. She dropped her gaze and looked away, as though sparing him her condition. "Don't you know it's impolite not to look me straight in the eye?" the older mercenary asked calmly. From this perspective his open jacket revealed surprisingly broad shoulders and a light grey holster holding a gun of sorts.

An involuntary prickle of coldness ran down her spine. Tomoe felt that he was a dangerously perceptive man, but in the moment, she had no sense of animosity directed to her. She exhaled and emptied her mind. "I'm sorry," she sneaked a peek at Jango then lifted her gaze slowly to Skirata's face. "I'm still learning." Her unblinking gaze still locked on his, she put her foot down and took a step back.

Behind her, Boba was observing Tomoe's unease. 'But she had wanted to talk to Kal? I can arrange that.' He dropped his stuff back into the box soundly, "Dad, can I go to bed early today?" he inquired with a heartfelt yawn, "I didn't sleep well last night."

Jango arched a brow. "Sure. Cin'ciri will tuck you in." Then he realized that last night's argument had been hissed but not completely silent…'Oh _fierfeck_...'

"Please, dad..." Boba complained "I like your bedtime stories so much better… just a five minutes one?" he begged.

"Agreed, get ready for bed." He watched his son scurry off to the bathroom.

Skirata paused, raking his short grey hair with a bemused smile at Tomoe. "You are telling bedtime stories?" She looked him squarely in the eye now, no fear and no distrust in her gaze when she simply nodded 'yes'.

"Entertain our guest for a moment, Cin'ciri." Jango followed his son and shut the bedroom door behind him, wondering just how much gentle reassurance was needed.

Skirata remembered his social graces and picked up the thread for her, "What about?"

"Since I have no local fairytales to read, I started telling myths from my home world." Tomoe dropped her marble mask the instant Jango got out of sight. "What do you tell Mereel and Prudii to get them to sleep?"

'..._Results_..._'_ her withdrawn behavior was obviously related to Jango, but his authority over her ended at the doorframe. "We usually do some recap." He noticed she had an inner fire and spirit that burned brightly underneath the cold act. "It's a laugh a minute, this job."

"They were so high strung yesterday I can imagine you had a hard time. How is Mereel's wrist?"

"Slightly sprained." Kal said quietly.

"I'm sorry about that. In the first moment we didn't realize just who we were, but fortunately everybody got back to normal as quickly. I hear that Boba has given Mereel's knife back already?"

"Yes. But I worry more about the distraction," he paused to make sure she understood what he was saying. "You know I'll protect them come what may, don't you?

"It's good to know you care," her lips parted slightly she but would say no more.

"We understand each other. Does Jango know?" He inquired calmly.

"His way to jump to conclusions scares me. It will not happen again so he doesn't need to know."

"I see." He had no idea what had set her off, but he could smell the fear of her body. Nevertheless she moved in to top up the cups, her hands unshaken. Noting a braid-like imprint on the edge of her left hand, Skirata snapped into action instantly, catching her wrist neatly.

"Please don't..." her voice was low and placating, "Jango will lose his mind again." She tried to back away, her face all wide-eyed shock. Skirata used the momentum to get up from the chair, quickly and efficiently closing in on her. He pressed her against the edge of the table, and then threw her to the ground with a sound thud. Feeling her tense against him he instantly knew she was merely minimizing damage instead of using her full potential to put up a fight. Had his instinct betrayed him after all?

Pinning her face down, he frisked her pockets for the origin of the mark, "Where is it?" Skirata hissed and dropped a wicked three-sided knife from his right sleeve, showing it to her before cutting through her waistband smoothly. "What do you mean, sir?" Her voice was detached to the point of indifference. Holding the knife into the hollow at the base of her skull, he pulled a long thin black rope from her left sleeve just when Jango sidled in. "This."

"Problem, Kal?" Jango leaned against the wall casually.

"I would have preferred to stay out of it, but you are pressing it on me. You picked a pet as dangerous as Mird, but less loyal." Half kneeling on top of her, Skirata looped one end over the shorter edge of his knife. It failed cutting it on the first try. He gave the material a closer look. The garrotte's slightly elastic structure came from a braiding as intricate as a _keldabian_ knot work. He passed it to Jango.

"Where did she get that from?" Jango turned the rope between his fingertips.

Skirata gathered his captive's hair and sliced through it, throwing the black tresses at his leader. "From her own body... strengthened with a thin copper wire... braided with knowledge and skill. She's _mandokarla_."

A slow smile spread across her face and lit her eyes in madness. "Have some dignity, just kill me already! Stop wasting my time!"

Skirata had seen it too often. "His decision," he rejected her request levelly and sat up, the tip of the knife trailing the side of her neck and around the now visible bite mark on her shoulder, "If you keep this up, Jango, she will kill you one day. Deal with it _now_." He raised an eyebrow at Fett, all he needed was to hear his leader's word.

Jango swatted down to get into her restricted frame of view "Lying again to me about your education? I need to know the truth about certain matters if we have any hope of getting along."

"Don't tell me about honor. I don't want to get along with your ways. I WANT MY LIFE BACK!"

"Oh, really?" Jango chuckled and brushed the shortened strands from her face. "All is fair in love and war, the sooner you learn that, the better off you will be, my dear," he chuckled "Do you honestly think, Cin'ciri, that killing me will bring back your life?"

"It will efficiently stop you from making my life and other's more miserable."

Skirata shook his head "_Mando'ad draar digu_… Do you plan to sleep in your armor the rest of your life?"

"Do you think I have any more trouble to subdue her than you, old man?" Jango dismissed.

"I'm a slow learner." Tomoe lifted her head just enough to spit in Fett's face. "Deal with it, _hut'uun_."

Skirata glanced at them and half sighed, "This is exactly what I did not need." He said exasperated, spotting Boba huddled in the doorway. The small pyjama-clad figure clutched a blanket to his chest. "You've gone _jare'la_, both of you." Fett had broken something and didn't know how to fix it.

"How do you expect me to respect you when you behave like an animal, Cin'ciri?" Fett wiped his face and calmly and spoke with quiet, detached confidence. "We need more information. She has been lying about her past from the beginning." A brief smile played along his lips, "As you know, I have some interesting ways of getting people to…" he paused, "Open up and reveal the truth. Once she has no surprises left, Vau can use his brainwashing agent on her."

"I already gathered all I need to know, Jango." Kal reminded him "Without my help she would have throttled you in your sleep and you know that. I'm going to collect that dept."

Jango sighed "What do you want?" he inquired rather dourly.

"We are going to conduct a fair investigation here today. The outcome of which will determine many things." Kal leaned on her holding her firmly in place. She was going nowhere. It was both reassuring and frightening at the same time.

"Agreed. Let's call in Vau." Jango got up and turned to speak into his comlink. His tense tone had dropped, now he just sounded tired.

Skirata nodded; Fett had said what he hoped he would. "Now," he stood up to his full height again, absentmindedly smoothed back down his bristled grey hair and continued in a completely composed manner.

Tomoe pulled her feet under her and got up slowly. She had run out of ideas for the moment and she wondered what Kal had up his sleeve besides that knife.

Some minutes later, Vau walked in as casually as possible for a man dressed in full black armor. He just sat drawn and silent on the desk, his long fingers steepled, his tiger eyes half lidded, just the smallest of twitches to his strong jaw any indication of the mixed emotions inside him.

…..

"_Me'vaar ti gar?_" (how are you)

"_Ni Gar cuy/haatyc ori jatne, Fett"_ (You don't look so good today, Fett)

"_Tion_ _gar jahaala?"_ (You alright?)

_jare'la_ (stupidly oblivious of danger, asking for it)

_Mando'ad draar digu_. (A Mandalorian never forgets.)


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16 - Always be polite to a client.

"We have a conflict here that needs to be settled fairly once and for all." Skirata started his arbitration. "Both sides complain about a lack of respect. Nobody is allowed to leave. Jango Fett denies taking out a treat to our project immediately, which appears unacceptable to the _Cuy'val Dar_. Tomoe pleads for the use deadly force in self-defense, which had a chance of success before I stepped in. Jango claims that he can bend her to his will with further information and medication when you step in, Vau?"

"To some it is known as 'Truth Serum'," Vau carried on fluently, staring at Tomoe "because it strips away your brains cognitive and reasoning responses. It lowers the curtain between conscious and subconscious and we will know if you are indeed a threat to us." He watched Tomoe's pupils dilate with some satisfaction. Yes, today she would fight. He redirected his icy stare. "Afterwards we can decide what we want her to remember and what not." He nodded briefly to Fett then added "Don't worry about the schematics of it, that's my job, if you provide me with a reason to do so, since drugging hapless _aruetise_ was not part of my job description. I'm hired to train soldiers."

Jango raised an eyebrow at Vau "I'm sure I can sweeten you up. Skirata just lectured me about her _mandokarla_."

"If she is _mando_, you cannot deny her the right to defend herself and you cannot own her. I would encourage you to settle this question in the old way." Vau retorted. "Decide."

"My tenacious housekeeper had her chance. She fought - and lost – twice." Jango drawled and eyed his slave. "Would you submit willingly after a third trashing, Cin'ciri? I can provide another one."

Tomoe had followed the discussion silently as long as it went on over her head, but now her voice dripped contempt. "I decline. You will have to do better."

Vau quickly leaned forward physically getting between Jango and Tomoe as though keeping two small children from getting into it and giving both a hard stare. "Skirata mentioned fair. To me, that means fight circle etiquette, no armour and equal weapons."

"Why wait?" Jango snorted.

"Because you owe me a fight against her." Kal pointed out. This wasn't going as expected, but irrespective of the outcome, it would help to vent her desperation and earn her some very public respect. He could work with that afterwards.

"Because I won't wipe her mind for you if you don't fight and win in order to prove that she stands no chance to become a member of our society." Vau retorted "Shouldn't be an issue against your so called _aruetyc_ housekeeper."

"Under no circumstances. Therefore I won't take advantage of my right to choose the weapons." Jango shrugged his shoulders. "Choose the instrument of your punishment, Cin'ciri."

Tomoe decided that Jango wasn't worth an argument and stuck to Kal. "Please excuse the interruption, sires, since I'm not informed about the etiquette and I presently have no weapon."

"No deathblows are permitted. Who leaves the circle before a decision is made, looses. A decision can be made by capitulation, unconsciousness or the first bleeding injury of the opponent. The weapons allowed range from unarmed combat to blades like knife, sabers or swords, which can include vibro-function, but they have to be equal. Just make a pick; I'm sure we find somebody to help out." Kal ticked off.

"I choose saber," Tomoe aimed high.

"You can use my pair of sabers…" Vau offered.

"I'm honored," she bowed slightly.

"Wait a moment, Tomoe." Kal piped in. "Before you agree, your end of the bargain should be defined as well."

"You said, no deathblows, no leave." Tomoe gave Jango a deliberate death stare. "Then what's in for me?"

Scared by the blood thirst that his all-times-kind friend suddenly emitted, Boba rushed in "NO... please, no!" he clamped his hands into her tunic, striving to pull her down to face him.

"Respect and a self-determined existence in this city until the time its location is disclosed. I expect that in about four or five years." Skirata proposed.

"Add the return of my property held by Fett and the removal of the anklet." Tomoe continued absentmindedly.

If she did what tradition dictated, what her ancestry and honor demanded of her, the only way out would be death. With that her line would expire. Vau's saber would make it clean and easy to end it here and now... but looking in the hazel eyes of the boy clinging to her, she found out that she did not have what it took to rip his soul apart for her pride alone. She picked up the desperate kid in pajamas and kissed Boba's forehead. "When Jango honours the rules, so will I, Boba." She put him back down gently. "Now go with Kal, he will take care of you."

"Shall we begin?" Vau pushed out of the chair and turned to leave, hands clasped behind his back.

.oOo.

Apparently, word got around quickly in Tipoca City. There were already two more armored Mando'ade outside the door waiting when Kal, Boba, Tomoe and Jango arrived.

Kal's eyes had a bit of a gleam when he opened the door they guarded. "The sergeants' sparring and training room," he announced in a no-nonsense voice. He led her inside; it was actually the biggest room she had seen so far. One corner of the floor was covered with firm padding. In another corner hung a leather martial arts training dummy and also a large, canvas punching bag. The opposite wall housed an assortment of various training weapons from canes to quarter staffs, wooden swords and bayonets to ropes. Some chairs and a chequered board on the wall completed the furnishing.

The hall rang with the sounds of animated conversation and laughter. Rumours and bets flowing between the armored men. Occasionally the men spoke briefly to one another in _Mando'a_, seeming to compare information and weigh decisions. Suddenly it was almost as though a hush seemed to stop and spread around the room; A cold chill seemed to creep up Tomoe's spine as all eyes seemed to suddenly turn on her and for the briefest of instances they were wary and hostile, like a pack of guard dogs wondering what 'stray' had come into their territory.

"Let's see if she can show us anything new, eh?" Around Jango his henchmen and soldiers roared with raucous laughter. She could feel their hostile stares at her, the humiliating laughter. She merely stood stock still at her full height, no emotion in her dark brown eyes. Never would she give them the satisfaction of letting them see any emotion on her.

A massive desk dominated near the back of the room and sitting on top of the corner of this desk was Walon Vau. "_Su'cuy_ Tomoe," he smiled warmly, benignly. "I was so impressed by your tenacity that I decided to coach you myself." He motioned her towards the far side of the ring. "You don't mind, little one?" - "I'm honored, sir." He unwrapped a neat package reverently and passed a saber to Jango first, "Here. Don't ruin it." Fett ambled away. Vau continued and produced the saber's twin blade "It's a bes'kad," he handed it to Tomoe.

The saber rested heavily on her palms, but Vau was probably strong enough to wield them as a pair. "Thank you." She half-turned and unsheathed the long familiar shape smoothly. The audience calmed. It was a special weapon indeed. No light reflected on the matte grey material. She rested the sheath on the table and gripped the hilt with both hands, inspecting the blade before she turned it vertically and knocked the hilt on the table lightly. The blade's sound was dull, nothing like the clear sound of her own knife, but not faulty, more like a consolidated material that was swallowing whatever frequency connected with it.

Tomoe quickly reversed the blade and nicked the seams connecting the overlong sleeves to the tunic. She reached up and ripped off the excess-fabric, dropping it on the table together with the oversized socks and the worse-than-ever slipping pants. The laughter, gibberish like an occasional '_dikut_' and catcalls in her back would not slow her down or make her slip. If her state of undress distracted Fett – just the better. She gathered her wispy tresses with a loose thread and picked up the _bes'kad_ again.

"Let's do some swings and stretching and then finish up in here." Vau motioned to her, and then sidled up to Skirata.

For the moment Fett was the only one who ignored Tomoe as he shed his armor down to the body glove and got acquainted with his own saber. For some reason he had allowed his feelings to cloud his conscious of the here and now. There was a part that didn't trust her at all, saw her as an outsider and a liability; a part of him that felt compassion for her and a part that focused on the womanly attractiveness of her. She had proven valuable since she had matched Boba perfectly... he had not seen his son this happy in awhile and it deeply warmed his heart. But now his son was scared, huddling against Kal's thigh, wide eyed like some other kids, years ago.

'You messed up, Jango...'

With a grunt of anger at himself, he resettled his body and thoughts. To care for something was to give it power and to give it power was to give himself a weakness. 'The wildcat is seething in anger and will go for your throat a third time, but without the slowing effects of a stun dart. The body glove will hold off the superficial scratches. Protect yourself, give her a good trashing, then we can all go home.' He took a deep breath and smelled the mixture of musk, antiseptic soap and weapon oil as it filled his powerful lungs. The familiar aroma, his strict training and discipline were able to bring his mind and body under sharp control.

.oOo.

Only one more Mando'ad had come into the room and Skirata locked the door.

"You think she can win?" Skirata asked Vau who towered beside him. He angrily chewed his _ruuik_-root while watching the slender woman by the table doing her warm-up. Kal could tell she was skilled, but even out of his armour Fett looked as massive as a freight train compared to her.

Tomoe stilled her heart and mind, controlled her breathing and began to connect her body with the blade that denied to whisper in her hands, but spoke to the void inside of her. It was eager to dish out a taste of death anytime. After a moment she achieved that perfect state of both oneness and nothingness.

Not a muscle moved in Vau's granite-like face. "While Fett is invincible with his twin-blasters, he never devoted himself to the fine art of fencing. If she's quick enough and avoids a lock, I suppose she can do some damage… otherwise she will find out how sore I really left her."

Well aware of Vau's talent to wind him up in seconds, Skirata preferred to ignore the hint. "I doubt that she can stop such a heavy blade in time."

"Probably not..." Vau admitted.

"…and if this goes all messy?"

Vau steepled his fingers and sat back for a moment, thinking, analyzing potential outcomes. "Then we need a new leader. I will pick up the fallen saber and fulfill her death wish by challenging her."

Skirata harrumphed and motioned the opponents into the ring. "No deathblows. Am I perfectly clear?" He lifted the PEP-laser and watched them bow slightly. "_Haat, ijaa, haa'it_" The spectators looked like they never had any expressions on their stone cold professional faces. Just a hard, unbending resolve and a deadly quiet nature. An unspoken signal flashed amongst them. "Good," Skirata smiled sarcastically. "_Oya_."

Tomoe exploded with such lightening fast reflexes he never saw it coming. Her cry mingled with the audience's moans of anguish and shouts of fear, rage and death that hung in the air and then silence. Total deafening silence… pierced by a boy's high pitched "Dad?"

Whatever the style the small woman used, it was deadly, accurate and brutal. She had outmaneuvered him, leaving empty air where his saber came down. Jango felt a sudden sharp pinch just above his knee and heard a far-away sound as though it were all happening to someone else. He whirled around to keep up with the pace. A red stream of warm blood seeped down his leg.

"Do something rash and give me an excuse to kill you." Her movement seemed oddly slow as she stood poised like a deadly cobra, her eyes were hard with a deadly intent while she guarded her wounded opponent. She did not need to look around to know that Skirata's had his PEP-laser well trained.

Jango crouched with a deep gash in his upper thigh, the scent of his own blood assaulting his previously numbed senses. An involuntary groan of pain was driven out of his lungs.

"I did not cut the main vessel." Her eyes burned with dark fire, her muscles tightened in barely controlled anger. "You've made a bad mistake," she hissed at him, "that game of yours ends today." A smack of her fist on the back of the blade sprayed deep red droplets over his face. Realization hit him like a dash of cold water.

Skirata instructed in a clear, calm voice. "After you leave this circle, Jango Fett, you will set up quarters for Tomoe Harada, give her paid employment, return whatever of her property you hold, remove your monitoring anklet and treat her with respect." With a nod of understanding Fett calmly stood and limped out of the ring, got a med-kit and accessed the cut on his thigh with an efficiency that had come to him with a lonely and violent life, then donned his armor.

Tomoe skirted away of Fett and his henchmen cautiously. Coated in a light sheen of sweat and feeling like she had just run five miles, she wiped the saber with a ripped off sleeve. She sheathed the blade and bundled up her clothing before returning the weapon to Vau with reference. "It has been an honor." She bowed gracefully and Vau inclined his head, giving her a slight half-bow.

Jango straightened up and dug up a folded note from the collar of the body glove. He seemed numb but at the same time stood in front of her with a resolute determination. Skirata intercepted it immediately. "I'll take that. Don't even think about not showing up again in exactly 30 minutes." Jango nodded, turned away and walked out the double doors without looking back. Kal clutched Boba's shoulder. "Stay with me. Your dad will be back shortly." …'and from what I have just seen, the old _chakaar_'s damn lucky to have such a son.'

Kal redirected his attention to Tomoe. "You will stay here and keep your silence and show respect to the Mandalore. If you follow and obey that one rule, your life will be protected and revered and we will live in harmonious coexistence. But ever try to leave or to make contact to the outside galaxy and our deal will be over permanently. I know death intimately and it doesn't talk back and ask a lot of questions. You will be _Cuy'val Dar_ – no longer existent - and you follow our rules implicitly. Fail that and you will end up truly dead, kid. Are we clear on that?"

"I'm in." Tomoe said looking into Skirata's hardened gaze.

For the first time, Tomoe saw a genuine smile spread across Skirata's grizzled, wolf like face and he simply put a hand on Tomoe's shoulder. "Excellent. I'm glad," was his only reply. Slowly she nodded slightly but said nothing else. He casually ended this meeting with a dismissive wave of his hand.

- End Of Sequel 1 -

_Please don't forget to tell me what you think - thanks!_


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